A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 1
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 2
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 3
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 4
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 5
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 6
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 7
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 8
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 9
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 10
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 11
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 12
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 13
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 14
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE - photo 15

A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE

Lot 31
06.07.2023 12:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 340 200
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 992777
Lot 31 | A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE
Estimate value
£ 300 000 – 500 000
A GEORGE III ORMOLU-MOUNTED AND POLYCHROME-DECORATED SATINWOOD, HAREWOOD AND MARQUETRY SEMI-ELLIPTICAL COMMODE

CIRCA 1785, ATTRIBUTED TO WILLIAM INCE AND JOHN MAYHEW

The top with three applied ovals painted with Cupid garlanding Venus in a landscape and two putti holding flowers, the front with Diana surprising the sleeping Endymion in the centre, holding a bow on the left and seated with greyhounds on the right, within variously stained and engraved entrelac, scroll and foliage frames and husk borders, on harewood grounds inlaid with delicate ribbon-tied foliage scrolls suspending shields, anthemia and drapery swags, the front divided by panels inlaid with urns and framed with six pilasters mounted with well-chased ormolu ram's-head and ring capitals, the lunette-inlaid frieze with a mahogany-lined drawer above three doors, the centre enclosing three mahogany drawers, flanked by cupboards, mounted with three horizontal ormolu borders chased with anthemia, fluting and stiff-leaves, on six ormolu acanthus-pattern square tapering legs with gadrooned and beaded feet, now with additional sycamore blocks added above the ormolu feet - these can easily be removed and the original height of the commode re-instated

721/2 in. (184 cm.) wide; 363/4 in. (93.5 cm.) high; 291/4 in. (74 cm.) deep





Provenance

Possibly made to celebrate the marriage of Sir Henry Paulet St John, 3rd Bt. to Jane, heiress of the Mildmay family, for Dogmersfield Park, Hampshire.

By descent in the Mildmay family.

The Lord Mildmay of Flete, Christie's, London, 5 June 1947, lot 114.

The Hon. Mrs Daisy Fellowes, Donnington Grove, Newbury, Berkshire, and thence by descent.

Anonymous sale, Christie's, London, 29 March 1984, lot 196.

‘The Barbara Piasecka Johnson Collection’, Christie’s, London, 9 July 1992, lot 162.

The 10th Earl of Portsmouth, and thence by descent at Farleigh House, Hampshire.



An alternative possibility is that the commode may have entered the Mildmay family through the marriage in 1823 of Sir Henry's son, Humphrey St John Mildmay, grandfather of Lord Mildmay of Flete (1861-1947), to Anne Baring, eldest daughter of the collector and connoisseur of English furniture, Alexander Baring, 1st Lord Ashburton ( 1774 - 1848 ) and then by descent to their son Henry Bingham Mildmay of Shoreham Place, Kent and grandson Lord Mildmay of Flete.



Literature

C. Hussey, ‘Donnington Grove, Berkshire – III’, Country Life, October 2 1958, pp. 714 – 717, fig. 3.

H. Roberts, ‘The Derby House Commode’, Burlington Magazine, May 1985, p. 282 and fig. 12.

H. Roberts and C. Cator, Industry and Ingenuity: The Partnership of William Ince and John Mayhew, London, 2022, p. 254, figs. 124 & 125.





Special notice

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square ( ¦ ) not collected from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London SW1Y 6QT by 5.00pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Crozier Park Royal (details below). Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite.If the lot is transferred to Crozier Park Royal, it will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day following the sale.Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only.Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: [email protected] the lot remains at Christie’s, 8 King Street, it will be available for collection on any working day (not weekends) from 9.00am to 5.00pm
Place of origin:Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom
Auction house category:All other types of objects
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
06.07.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
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