A MAGNIFICENT GEORGE III PERIOD MAHOGANY BOOKCASE CABINET MOST PROBABLY FROM THE WORKSHOPS OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

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A MAGNIFICENT GEORGE III PERIOD MAHOGANY BOOKCASE CABINET MOST PROBABLY FROM THE WORKSHOPS OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE ( England c. 1760 )

Dimensions

120.70cm wide 251.00cm high 50.80cm deep (47.52 inches wide  98.82 inches high  20.00 inches deep)

Provenance

Formerly in the collection of Mr and Mrs Martin Gersh, New York City, from October 1969.

Literature

For a very similar bookcase see Christopher Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, 1978, vol. I, pp. 34, 35, fig. 38.

Description / Expertise

The bookcase being executed in superbly figured and faded mahogany, the moulded and dentil ornamented broken pediment being centred by a shaped, moulded platform above a carved patera, the platform supporting a carved mahogany classical urn, the lower moulding of the pediment with dentil decoration, and surmounting two arched doors, flanked by scrolled, moulded and carved brackets, with husk carving over scrolled acanthus leaves and an anthemion with pendant berried husks surmounting tapering panelled pilasters, the tops of the doors with shaped crossbanded panels centred by a carved patera, and with further larger arched crossbanded fielded panels centred by keystones below, the doors opening to reveal the original mahogany sliding shelves above sixteen small mahogany lined drawers still retaining the original brass 'penny-drop' ring handles, the lower section having a small mahogany pull-out slide in the centre of the waist moulding above two doors inset with panels of 'flame-figured' mahogany, these panels set within carved shaped astragal mouldings, the curved corners of which being inset with carved flowerheads, the doors opening to reveal adjustable mahogany shelves, the bookcase supported on a moulded plinth.