A PAIR OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY HALL CHAIRS

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This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal.… Read more

A LONDON SEASONThis magnificent flat in Thomas Cubitt’s stucco terrace overlooking Eaton Square bore witness to the happiest of times over more than 40 years. During their London Seasons in May and October, the generous hospitality of this inspiring and peripatetic couple was legendary, both to young and old alike. Business titans, politicians, cultural arbiters and invariably guests from the racing world – owners, breeders, trainers and bloodstock agents – were all welcome and The Racing Post was consumed on a daily basis. On walking through the door, all were greeted with “A glass of bubbly?” – followed by rapidfire discussion of the latest developments in international affairs and business, as well as progressive politics and the Turf.The pictures, works of art and furniture that they surrounded themselves with encapsulate a Britishness of taste, as well as reflecting their many and varied interests. Thus their love of the Turf is superbly captured in Ben Marshall’s celebrated Newmarket picture, as indeed was the St. Leger by J.F. Herring – whilst other British country pursuits were captured for posterity by both Ferneley and Marshall – whose beautifully observed portrait of a gentleman in pursuit of the oft-elusive woodcock is a perfect reminder of that artist’s unique and distinctive ability as a portrait painter. And as your eye surveyed the great drawing room, a visual ‘menagerie’ in bronze, marble and porcelain bore witness to their love of animals and wildlife – whether they be greyhounds by Gott, Whippets by Mêne, Chinese Export cranes, Meissen lions or Cloisonné magpies.Forays into Mount Street and Bond Street inevitably led to discoveries in the great antique shops of the day, at Blairman, Mallett, Lumley and Partridge – often with illustrious English country house provenances like Wykeham, Burghley and Coleshill. In parallel, a comprehensive understanding of jewel-like workmanship led to a fascination with extraordinary feats of craftmanship – a Cartier diamond and citrine Mystery Clock vying for attention beside ‘King William III’s’ silver-gilt casket and William Beckford’s candlesticks and bowl. But in spite of so many treasures, this sumptuous pied-à-terre was first and foremost a family gathering point – so perhaps it is Henry Moore’s Family Group that best encapsulates their remarkable legacy.The Earl of HalifaxSeptember 2018

A PAIR OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY HALL CHAIRS

CIRCA 1755

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE II MAHOGANY HALL CHAIRS
CIRCA 1755
Each with shaped pierced back and entwined scroll splat, the bowed moulded seat with waved apron, on cabriole legs joined by an H-stretcher, incised with the letter 'E', one with faint chalk inscription '150'
39 in. (99 cm.) high; 20 ½ in. (52 cm.) wide; 21 in. (53 cm.) deep

Special Notice

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.

Brought to you by

Donata Von Gizycki

dvongizycki@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2350

Lot Essay

These hall chairs relate to designs by Matthias Darly for ‘Parlour Chairs’ as published in Darly’s Second Book of Chairs in circa 1750 (C. Gilbert, ‘The Early Furniture Designs of Matthias Darly’, Furniture History, vol. 11, 1975, figs. 74-77). Darly had a close working relationship with Thomas Chippendale; he was commissioned by Chippendale to engrave 98 of the 147 signed plates for the first edition of the Director (1754), and the pair and their families shared ‘the first house on the right hand in Northumberland Court’ during the compilation of this pattern book in 1753. In the third edition of the Director, Chippendale, possibly inspired by Darly, published his own version of this hall chair, plate XVII, which he had devised in 1759.
A set of four hall chairs of similar form was sold from the celebrated Samuel Messer collection of English furniture, Christie's, London, 5 December 1991, lot 59.

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