This commode, of striking bombé form with its rich timbers is designed in the George III French ‘pittoresque’ style. Attributed to John Cobb (1715-78), who together with his partner, William Vile (circa 1700-67), held a Royal warrant from 1761-64 as ‘Cabinet makers and Upholsterers to His Majesty King George III’ to supply furniture under the direction of the Great Wardrobe to St James's Palace and The Queen's House (now Buckingham Palace) (1). This commode is closely related to a pair of mahogany commodes from Blickling Hall, Norfolk, and another sabicu and padouk commode at Alscot Park, Warwickshire, by Cobb, that date from the mid-1760s, and for which bills exist.
JOHN COBB (1715-1778)
The commode can be securely attributed to Cobb on the basis of specific constructional and stylistic features. In a series of articles on Cobb’s contemporary, Pierre Langlois (active 1754-81), the furniture historians Peter Thornton and William Rieder suggested that the distinctive ‘Corsham Group’ of commodes (to which the present lot relates) should be attributed to Cobb. Although, discussing commodes with doors, they noted that the apron on a Cobb commode forms an integral part of the doors in the French manner and is thus divided in two when the doors are opened while Langlois’s aprons are fixed to the carcase’ (2). Similarly, the apron on a Cobb commode with drawers, as in this example, is formed from a sans traverse lower drawer, in the French manner, rather than the apron forming part of the carcase, which is more typical of English pieces. The sans traverse lower drawer combined with a moulded banding on the apron, appears to be individual to Cobb. This can be found on a pair of bombé commodes at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, almost certainly supplied by Cobb to John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire; in 1762, Cobb received an unspecified payment of £86 from the Earl (3). Another commode from Harewood, of virtually identical profile, sold ‘The Exceptional Sale, 4 July 2019, lot 106 (£137,500 incl. premium). A further commode but executed in padouk, sold Christie’s, London, 14 November 1996, lot 120 (£51,000 incl. premium). Other commodes of this profile sold Sotheby's, London, 12 June 2002, lot 63 (£182,650 incl. premium) and 5 July 1996, lot 61 (£155,500 incl. premium).
Cobb, a near-neighbour to Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) in St. Martin’s Lane, would have known Chippendale and his pattern book, The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker’s Director (1754, 1755 and 1762), which included designs for ‘French Commodes’ and ‘Commode Tables’. In addition, Cobb, similarly to Chippendale in November 1769, was accused in 1772 and 1773 of the malpractice of illegally importing furniture from France by using the diplomatic bag of the Venetian resident, Baron Berlindis, and the Neopolitan Minister, Count Pignatelli, in order to avoid import duty (4). Therefore, on the assumption that this was a long-standing practice, he must have been fully conversant with the latest French models.
THE PROVENANCE
This commode is one of three from Harewood House, Yorkshire, that can be attributed to John Cobb; one of the commodes sold in the Exceptional Sale in 2019 as cited above. Although, it is uncertain when the commodes entered the collection it is interesting to note that Cobb was prolific in Yorkshire in the 1760s with commissions including: in 1767, Lord Langdale at Holme Hall; in 1768, Bacon Frank at Campsall Hall, and the same year, John Spencer at Cannon Hall, and in 1768-70, John Battie at Cusworth Hall (5). The Bacon Frank archive reveals that Cobb was in correspondence with his patron on 2 July 1763 and 28 July 1768 regarding the non-payment of his account, while in 1764 and 1772, Frank, who evidently knew Edwin Lascelles, was exchanging letters with him.
(1) Some of Vile & Cobb's most celebrated commissions are discussed by G. Beard, 'Vile & Cobb, Eighteenth Century London Furniture-makers', Antiques, June 1990, pp. 1394-1405.
(2) ‘Pierre Langlois, Ébéniste’, Connoisseur, part 5, May 1972, p. 32.
(3) NT 354321-2.
(4) Ed. G. Beard, C. Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers: 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 182; C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. I, p. 37.
(5) Ibid.
Post Lot Text
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