Provenance
One: The Earl of Haddington, Tyninghame House, East Lothian until 1997
The other: Sir John Gooch, 12th Baronet, Benacre Hall, Suffolk until 2000.
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Description / Expertise
Reference: 44TAC96611
A magnificent and highly important pair of early 18th century marble topped carved giltwood side tables, each surmounted by a later breche de Medici top with canted corners, the acanthus carved fluted frieze centred with a foliate framed Apollo mask continuing to the apron, on acanthus and piastre carved double scrolled legs with scrolled feet.
English, circa 1735
After many years apart in two separate distinguished British collections, these tables have recently been excitedly reunited. Their original provenance is still not known, but their design may be ascribed to John Vardy (1718-1765): each decorated with bold garland-festooned central masks of the goddess Flora and double scrolled canted legs. They have marked affinities with a drawing of a 'sideboard table' designed in the 1730s by William Kent (1684-1748) for Houghton Hall, Norfolk, published in John Vardy's 'Some Designs of Mr. Inigo Jones and Mr. William Kent', 1744, pl. 41 (see Elisabeth White, 'Pictorial Dictionary of 18th Century English Furniture', 1990, p. 265, pl. 41). A Flora mask is also featured on the table that Kent designed for the Chiswick villa of Richard Boyle's 3rd Earl of Burlington. Further designs for side tables published by William Jones in 'The Gentleman or Builders's Companion', 1739, also share strong similarities with this present pair (cf White, op. cit. pp. 262 & 263).
A further pair of tables which relate closely were supplied to Charles Powlett, 5th Duke of Boulton (d.1765), possibly for Hackwood Park or Grosvenor Square, and sold from the house in 1999. The distinctive design of these tables was attributed to John Vardy and the carving to his brother Thomas Vardy on the basis that John Vardy was also responsible for the architecture of Hackwood Park, and several of his furniture designs for the house survive in addition to this evidence. It is also worth noting that the Bolton tables share similar Flora masks to their central friezes combined with guilloche and acanthus ornament in corresponding areas.
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