This elegant commode with its subtle and refined marquetry inlaid with technical brilliance relates to a corpus of similarly shaped and decorated commodes by the great partnership of William Ince and John Mayhew. Its form, inlaid foliate scrolls and clasps, and idiosyncratic use of yewwood are just a few attributes characteristic to the firm.
With its serpentine outline, bracket feet and inlaid foliate cartouches and lack of ormolu mounts it relates closely to a commode probably made for the 2nd Lord Fortescue in 1767, illustrated H. Roberts, C. Cator Industry and Ingenuity, The Partnership of William Ince and John Mayhew, London, 2022, p. 333, fig. 231, 232. As indicated in the above publication this commode displays a ‘quasi-Gothick trellis, reminiscent of the decoration shown on one of two ‘Lady’s Secretary’s’ and the back of one of the ‘Dressing Chairs’ shown in plates XVIII and XXXV of the Universal System.’ (ibid. p. 98). Another commode with similar decoration is currently in an English private collection.
This commode and that probably made for Lord Fortescue further relate to a larger group of yewwood marquetry commodes of serpentine form by the firm with variations in decoration and ornamentation. The group includes the following examples:
1. A commode sold by Olaf Hambro, Esq., Linton Park, Maidstone, Kent, Christie's house sale, 2-3 October 1961, lot 110 and subsequently sold by the late Mrs Charles Mills, Hilborough Hall, Norfolk, Christie's house sale, 21-23 October 1985, lot 73. It was most recently sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 5 July 1990, lot 141 (£99,000 including premium).
2. Sotheby's, London, 18 March 1966, lot 151, from the collection of Martin Summers, Esq., (illustrated in A. Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, pl. 45). Incorrectly identified in the Sotheby's catalogue as the Linton commode. This is identical to 1 in every respect except that it has foliate clasp foot-mounts (the same as those on 6 and now on this commode), which the Hilborough commode may also originally have had.
3. Formerly Lady Russell, illustrated in P. Macquoid, The Age of Satinwood, London, 1908, pl. 11.
4. Sotheby's, London, 2 December 1977, lot 93, from the collection of the late Margharita, Lady Howard de Walden, C.B.E. This is of very similar form to 1, 2 and 3 and is almost identically inlaid. In place of the various ormolu borders on the first three, it has plain ebonised mouldings and the angles copy exactly those of 1, 2 and 3 in ebonised wood.
5. Christie's, London, 11 November 1971, lot 91, from an English private collection. This is a small and plainer version of the above four, without the floral marquetry and with plain angles.
6. Metropolitan Museum, New York, (169250), formerly in the Donaldson collection and sold from the collection of Mrs Elmer T. Cunningham, Monterey, California, Parke Bernet, New York, 14 March 1959, lot 115 (illustrated in R. Edwards and P. Macquoid, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1954, rev. ed., vol. II, p. 117, fig. 19). Of the same conformation as 1-5 but smaller and more elaborately inlaid and mounted.
7. The late Sir Anthony de Rothschild, Bt., Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, subsequently with Moss Harris and in the collection of the 1st Viscount Leverhulme. It was most recently offered from the Collection of Sir Michael Sobell, offered Christie’s, London, 23 June 1994, lot 77.
.jpg?mode=max&width=600)