A LARGE PAIR OF CARVED GILTWOOD MIRRORS, IN THE MANNER OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

lot/a large pair of carved giltwood mirrors in the manner of thomas chippendale jfKpyPJ 629443905 / Price history

lot/a large pair of carved giltwood mirrors in the manner of thomas chippendale jfKpyPJ 629443905

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lot/a large pair of carved giltwood mirrors in the manner of thomas chippendale jfKpyPJ 629443905

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A LARGE PAIR OF CARVED GILTWOOD MIRRORS, IN THE MANNER OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE

A LARGE PAIR OF CARVED GILTWOOD MIRRORS IN THE MANNER OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE AND THOMAS JOHNSON, 18TH OR 19TH CENTURY 178cm high, 95cm wide Provenance: Panshanger, Hertfordshire Ethel Anne Priscilla Grenfell (née Fane), Baroness Desborough (1867 - 1952); thence by descent Literature: 'Panshanger, Hertfordshire - I, A seat of Lord and Lady Desborough', Country Life, 11th January 1936, pp. 38-43, fig. 11, where the mirrors are illustrated in The Drawing Room These mirrors, which are designed in the popular chinoiserie taste of the mid 18th century, take inspiration from the designs of the foremost English cabinet makers of the period such as Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Johnson and Ince & Mayhew. Following the unrivalled success of Thomas Chippendale's 1754 publication 'The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director', contemporaries in turn published their own furniture designs in publications such as Thomas Johnson's 'Collection of Designs' (1758) and Ince & Mayhew's, The Universal System of Household Furniture, (1759-1762). All aforementioned publications include designs for 'looking glasses' and 'pier mirrors' to which the present lot shares many design features. Most notably, see 'Pier Glass Frames' in the first edition of Thomas Chippendale's Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director (1754), plate CXLVII. The combination of the carved 'gothik' tracery, arches and chinoiserie pagoda canopies on the present lot perhaps most closely aligns with the published designs of Ince & Mayhew. See ibid 'Oval Glass frames' (Plate LXXVIII), 'Pier Glasses' (Plate LXXX) and 'Pier Glass & Table' (plate LXXXII) for comparative designs. As shown in Country Life, 11th January 1936, p.42, the mirrors adorned the walls of Panshanger, Hertfordshire, the seat of Lord and Lady Desborough. Panshanger was completed in 1810 and following the demolition of Cole Green Park, served as the new family seat for Peter Leopold Louis Francis Nassau Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper. The estates in Hertfordshire passed through the generations to Francis, 7th Earl Cowper, who without heir, left Panshanger to his favourite niece Ethel Fane, who had been orphaned at just three years old and had grown up under the guidance of her uncle. In 1887, Ettie, as she was known, married William Grenfell, later 1st Baron Desborough. A Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary and a celebrated hostess, Lady Desborough made Panshanger her home, and it is possible that the mirrors were commissioned by Lady Desborough during this period. It was in her Drawing Room in 1936 that the current mirrors were photographed for the first of two articles in Country Life on Panshanger. Tragically Lord and Lady Desborough's three sons predeceased Lady Desborough; following her death in 1952, the house and estate was sold and the house subsequently demolished, with the contents dispersed to the family. SALEROOM NOTICE: Please note the cataloguing for this lot has been revised - these mirrors are dated as 18TH OR 19TH CENTURY, and not as previously stated in the printed catalogue. Condition Report: Marks, scratches and abrasions commensurate with age and use Some old chips and splits The gilding with some areas of rubbing, fragmentary loss and wear revealing the underlying gesso and carved pine surface The mirrors appear to be original and bear the expected variable areas of loss, de-silvering and bloom, the reflection remains bright and clear. Some small cracks to marginal plates (see images). Some smaller marginal plates may be good replacements Some small repairs The reverse of both mirrors with sacking covering Both mirrors of pleasing scale and good quality carvingPlease see all additional images accessible via the link in the report - they are a vital part of this condition report.Condition Report Disclaimer

Estimate:£8,000

Sold for:£20,000