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AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE PAIR OF MAHOGANY EBONY AND GILT BRONZE MOUNTED BOOKCASES IN THE GREEK TASTE BY ROBERT HERRING & SON TO THE DESIGN OF MARSH AND TATHAM
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AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE PAIR OF MAHOGANY EBONY AND GILT BRONZE MOUNTED
BOOKCASES IN THE GREEK TASTE BY ROBERT HERRING & SON TO THE DESIGN OF
MARSH AND TATHAM
THE GLAZED UPPER SECTIONS WITH SHELVED INTERIORS ARE FLANKED WITH FAUX BRONZE THRYSI THAT APPEAR TO PASS BEHIND RIBBONED LAURELS AND THROUGH THE MAHOGANY AND SIMULATED BRONZE CORNICE TO TERMINATE IN A PAIR OF PINE CONE FINIALS. THE LOWER SECTIONS WITH PATINATED BRONZE ACANTHUS MOUNTS OVER GLAZED AND SILK BACKED CUPBOARD DOORS THE WHOLE STANDING ON STRAINING LION PAW FEET AND A PLINTH BASES
English , circa 1810
H . 85 ins. ( 216 cm) W. 46 ins. ( 117 cm) D . 17 ¾ ins. ( 45 cm)
PRICE £ 85,000
Notes.
Designs by Thomas Hope and Marsh & Tatham, chief exponents of this restrained Greek revival style, significantly influenced this pair of bookcases, epitomising their symbolic and mythological style.
The Robert Herring bookcases\\\\\\\' design derives from a number of similar examples: one designed by Hope in 1801 for his house at Duchess Street and the others made by Marsh & Tatham for George IV’s London residence, Carlton House.
However, Hope’s Duchess Street cabinet was intended to display Greek vases decorated with bacchanalian scenes and are flanked by paired ‘herm’ pilasters surmounted by Grecian heads of the youthful Dionysus. The offered Robert Herring pair bear more resemblance to Hope\\\\\\\'s cabinets now at Windsor Castle. Although the Windsor Castle bookcases differ vastly from each other and also from the pair offered here, there are certain stylistic elements that are identical and can furthermore be compared in their basic design.
The most obvious similarities are with a pair of mahogany, gilt-bronze and marble breakfront bookcases made for King George III’s bedroom and supplied in June 1806 at a cost of £175. 18 s. (Marsh & Tatham’s account number 1391). Here we find the inset bronze moulding sandwiched within the cornice, the highly figurative cast acanthus capitals to the columns and, most obviously, exactly the same ribbon-tied wreath motifs to the frieze and cornice. These gilt castings can be attributed to the London- based French bronze founder, Alexis de Caix, who served as bronze manufacturer to George, Prince of Wales and whose work was praised by Hope. Another example of identical bronze work, also attributable to de Caix, is found on a second bookcase in the Royal collection (Marsh & Tatham’s account number 996). This piece is of a more accomplished, restrained and better conceived design; it probably avoided the embellishments carried out by Morel & Seddon in the early 1820’s. Here we find, to the centre of the base frieze, bronze casting in the form of a paterae contained within an acanthus mounted diamond motif.
Named in Sheraton’s list of Master Cabinet Makers in 1803, Robert Herring & Son traded in Fleet Street between 1769 and 1839.
Few pieces can be attributed to Robert Herring & Son through signatures, or trade labels. An exception is the pair of splendid bookcases shown in the drawing above..
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