6th Dec, 2022 10:00
Fine Interiors
100
A Regency pollard oak, yew and ebony centre table attributed to George Bullock
A Regency pollard oak, yew and ebony centre table attributed to George Bullock,
c.1815, the circular top inlaid with a continuous band of honeysuckle, flower heads and ivy, above a turned column and a scrolled triform base with applied roundels, terminating in anti-friction castors,
131cm diameter
73cm high
Provenance: The Estate of Jasper Gibbons Grinling, late of The Old Vicarage, Helions Bumpstead, Essex.
Literature: J Murray and H Blairman & Sons, 'George Bullock Cabinet Maker', 1988, pp.95-96.
George Bullock (c.1777-1818) is one of the most celebrated English cabinetmakers of the Regency period, and those pieces made or designed by him during the early part of the 19th century are particularly recognisable by the abundance of British flora in their ornament and the often used native timbers such as oak, yew, holly, larch and laburnum, in place of the more exotic woods that were so favoured by other leading makers of the time. This example, constructed from pollard oak, yew and ebony, closely resembles several examples that have come to market in recent years, the most notable of which being an example supplied to Matthew Robinson Boulton at Tew Park, Oxfordshire in 1817, which was sold most recently at Christie’s, 'Important English Furniture', 27 November 2003, lot 160. The ‘honeysuckle’ pattern for the inlaid border on the table was likely used for the first time on a desk stand that was purchased by Queen Charlotte in 1812 and, according to Murray, it appears in the 'Wilkinson Tracings', a scrapbook into which a wide range of tracings and engravings were pasted or loosely inserted, inscribed to the first page ‘Tracings by Thomas Wilkinson, from the designs of the late Mr George Bullock 1820'. These impressions are considered to be one of the most important sources regarding Bullock’s work and were acquired in 1974 by the City Museum and Art Gallery in Birmingham. To date, there is very little evidence with which to identify Thomas Wilkinson or work out how he had access to the original designs. Another close example (Christie’s, 'The English Collector', 21 May 2015, lot 121) which, as per Ackermann’s 'Repository of Arts', is described as being in the ‘French antique taste’ and is suggested to have possibly come from Bullock’s workshop. It has an identical turned column and base and is noted to bear a black wash to the undersides, which is said to be characteristic of his work; the same wash appears beneath the present example.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
Sold for £16,000
Condition Report
Some fading and discolouration throughout. Split to the top. Some scratches, knocks and wear to top. Some chips and losses to veneer, inlay and moulding throughout, with small areas of cosmetic repair and patches. Brass lock action a little bent but appears functional. A little bit of movement in the top, but column and base joints generally tight and solid. Overall in fairly 'sleepy' condition, with a little bit of cosmetic attention needed.
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Auction: Fine Interiors, 6th Dec, 2022
As we approach the end of the year, the Fine Interiors department has been working hard to curate a superbly stylish and sustainable selection of furniture, carpets, works of art, and sculpture, bringing together everything you need to create a warm and welcoming home for the colder nights.
Viewing
VIEWING
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Fri 2 December, 10am - 5pm
Sat 3 December, 10am - 2pm
Sun 4 December, 10am - 2pm
Mon 5 December, 10am - 5pm
All lots are, however, extensively illustrated and carry detailed condition reports - see 'Condition report' at the foot of each lot description.
Please note that this item is not suitable for a pre-sale automated shipping estimate due to the items weight/size.
The below table shows indicative shipping costs for larger items being delivered within the UK mainland. Please note that all the below costs are purely for indicative purposes and are to be used as a guideline only. If you purchase multiple large items, we will combine deliveries to reduce the shipping costs.
Should you be successful in buying this item, a specific shipping estimate will need to be requested after the sale using the link in your invoice email; this also includes all requests for international delivery.
If you would like further information about shipping and collection please see here.
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
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