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Click here to subscribeAn ebonised regulator wall timepiece by Reid & Sons, Newcastle upon Tyne, circa 1880, arched pediment with side door, trunk with glazed panel, 12 inch circular silvered dial with Roman numerals and signed, seconds dial, spade hour hand, single weight driven movement with a escapement, with cylindrical zinc bob, weight and key, 155cm high.
Ï’ A pair of George IV rosewood and gilt-metal mounted side cabinets, in the manner of Banting, France & Co, circa 1825, the rectangular white marble tops above panel-moulded friezes with carved bead-mouldings, each pair of doors with pierced gilt-brass grille panels enclosing shelves, the sides with acanthus carved scrolling corbel pilasters with anthemion ornament, on egg-and-dart moulded plinths, 92cm high, 123cm wide, 41cm deep The present pair of cabinets stylistically relate to the lower sections of two pairs of bookcases by Banting, France & Co., in the collection at Ickworth House, Suffolk. Please note, this lot should be dated as 'circa 1825 and later' and not as originally catalogued. Ï’ Indicates that this lot may be subject to CITES regulations when exported. Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information.
A George II burr yew, padouk and inlaid strong box on stand, mid-18th century, the brass-mounted box inlaid with chevron bandings within tulipwood crossbanding, the rising top revealing a hinged panel to the interior of the lid, the interior with a brass catch which activates the fall front, opening to reveal a pair of secret drawers, on moulded chamfered square legs, 87cm high, 43cm wide, 33cm deep
A pair of carved bronzed wood panels by Anton Leone Bulletti, Florence, dated 1864, in the baroque style, featuring baskets of flowers, Satyrs, , grotesque masks each with elaborate foliate scroll carving and ivory painted grounds, each 290cm high and of varying widths between 80cm and 89cm Provenance: Lartington Hall, Co. Durham Literature: Rosamond Allwood, `The Eminent Italian Artist, Signor Bulletti', Furniture History Vol. 25 (1989), pp. 250-256, figs. 2 and 3. Following a visit to Rome in 1854 the fourth Duke of Northumberland decided to redecorate the interiors of Alnwick with wood carvings in an Italianate seicento manner, under the direction of the architect Anthony Salvin. This was in contrast to Salvin's chosen mediaeval style for the exteriors and rather than import the wood-work from Italy, Salvin saw this as an opportunity to set up a school of Italian style carving at the castle. It was on this basis that he invited the Tuscan carver Anton Leone Bulletti (b.1824), to be its director with the Alnwick carver John Brown acting as foreman. A total of twenty-one carvers were engaged from London, Newcastle, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in advance of the carving studio's opening in 1855. It was here that the ornately carved doors, shutters and ceiling panels were produced for the castle. By 1860, the majority of the interior work was complete at which point Bulletti left his post at Alnwick to set up a business as a carver and draftsman at 30 High Bridge, Newcastle. One of his first commissions was for the Rt. Revd. Monsignor Witham, at Lartington Hall, Co. Durham. This followed Withham's decision to embark on an ambitious programme of building works under the direction of the architect Joseph Hanson. These included a grand entrance corridor and port cochere completed in 1863, for which Witham commissioned Bulletti to make a twelve foot high mirror frame and a series of carved wall panels including the present lot. Further carvings are thought to have been supplied by Bulletti for Thomas Witham's private suite above the servant's hall. Unlike the style of his work at Alnwick, Bulletti's work at Lartington was heavily influenced by the carvings of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo who produced carvings for the Royal palaces in Turin during the 1780s. In contrast to his English contemporaries such as Gerard Robinson and the Warwick school of carvers, who worked in a more three dimensional style, Bulletti's mounted his carving on panels of contrasting colour. The entrance hall mirror frame was described in the Teesdale Mercury in 1863 ... A Splendid specimen of wood carving of the highest order. In the centre of the bottom of the frame is the crest of Mr Witham supported on either side by dragons with eagle's heads. From these spring the conventional foliage, which in the present instance consists of the thistle, the convolvulus and the Primrose. About the centre of each side of the frame, the allegorical figures of two storks destroying a serpent are introduced and above these is a panel bearing on one side the date, and on the other side the motto, 'solo virtus victit'...This magnificent work of art arrived at Lartington Hall last week. Bulletti was also commissioned by the Silvertops of Minsteracres, near Consett, Co. Durham - unsurprisingly they had close connections with the Withams and similarly employed Joseph Hanson. In 1865 Bulletti moved to Newcastle's bustling Grey Street where he remained until 1869. His achievements during this period included a carved walnut table exhibited at the Fine Art Exhibition at Newcastle town hall in 1866. This was favourably received....`a magnificent work of art, poetical, vigorous in conception and design whilst manipulative skill displayed in the execution is of the most exquisite character'. However despite the table's great merit it still remained for sale in 1870 at the price of 400 guineas. In the 1871 Newcastle census Bulletti described himself as a designing artist of forty seven and a widower with two sons. He remained in the city until 1878, variously listing himself in local directories as a sculptor, carver, gilder and more intriguingly as a carpet designer. Despite their contrasting styles, Thomas Tweedy, proprietor of Newcastle's leading carving firm, commissioned Bulletti to carve a large panel for Sir Hugh Taylor at Chipchase Castle. It was titled 'The March of Time' and its carving was executed in higher relief than his work at Lartington and stylistically it was more akin to early 17th century Flemish work. At the end of 1878 Bulletti moved to London to take up a position as chief instructor at the newly created `School of Art Wood- Carving' at 3 Somerset Street, Portman Square, before transferring to rooms at the Albert Hall. However the school gained a reputation for attracting titled women students for whom carving was a pleasant hobby rather than a job. Consequently the school was not popular with the trade and furthermore its first exhibition of students' work in 1880 drew criticism from the Cabinet Maker. In 1882 Bulletti left the school due to ill health. However the school continued under the management of Miss Eleanor Rowe, one of his most talented pupils, until 1902. Bulletti continued to produce designs, including an 'Artistical Sideboard' which incorporated elements based on his work at Lartington some twenty years earlier. Bulletti was last recorded at Maude Road, off the Fulham road in 1885 but was no longer listed in directories as a carver. A small Bulletti panel sold Anderson & Garland, 18 June 2019, lot 466 and a further example is in the collection of the National Trust at Hughenden, Buckinghamshire.
A pair of carved bronzed wood panels by Anton Leone Bulletti, Florence, dated 1864, in the baroque style, featuring baldechins and goats heads each with elaborate foliate scroll carving and ivory painted grounds, each 290cm high and of varying widths between 80cm and 89cm; together with a pair of architectural spandrels, with some losses to carving, 196cm high, 180cm wide Provenance: Lartington Hall, Co. Durham Literature: Rosamond Allwood, `The Eminent Italian Artist, Signor Bulletti', Furniture History Vol. 25 (1989), pp. 250-256, figs. 2 and 3. Following a visit to Rome in 1854 the fourth Duke of Northumberland decided to redecorate the interiors of Alnwick with wood carvings in an Italianate seicento manner, under the direction of the architect Anthony Salvin. This was in contrast to Salvin's chosen mediaeval style for the exteriors and rather than import the wood-work from Italy, Salvin saw this as an opportunity to set up a school of Italian style carving at the castle. It was on this basis that he invited the Tuscan carver Anton Leone Bulletti (b.1824), to be its director with the Alnwick carver John Brown acting as foreman. A total of twenty-one carvers were engaged from London, Newcastle, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in advance of the carving studio's opening in 1855. It was here that the ornately carved doors, shutters and ceiling panels were produced for the castle. By 1860, the majority of the interior work was complete at which point Bulletti left his post at Alnwick to set up a business as a carver and draftsman at 30 High Bridge, Newcastle. One of his first commissions was for the Rt. Revd. Monsignor Witham, at Lartington Hall, Co. Durham. This followed Withham's decision to embark on an ambitious programme of building works under the direction of the architect Joseph Hanson. These included a grand entrance corridor and port cochere completed in 1863, for which Witham commissioned Bulletti to make a twelve foot high mirror frame and a series of carved wall panels including the present lot. Further carvings are thought to have been supplied by Bulletti for Thomas Witham's private suite above the servant's hall. Unlike the style of his work at Alnwick, Bulletti's work at Lartington was heavily influenced by the carvings of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo who produced carvings for the Royal palaces in Turin during the 1780s. In contrast to his English contemporaries such as Gerard Robinson and the Warwick school of carvers, who worked in a more three dimensional style, Bulletti's mounted his carving on panels of contrasting colour. The entrance hall mirror frame was described in the Teesdale Mercury in 1863 ... A Splendid specimen of wood carving of the highest order. In the centre of the bottom of the frame is the crest of Mr Witham supported on either side by dragons with eagle's heads. From these spring the conventional foliage, which in the present instance consists of the thistle, the convolvulus and the Primrose. About the centre of each side of the frame, the allegorical figures of two storks destroying a serpent are introduced and above these is a panel bearing on one side the date, and on the other side the motto, 'solo virtus victit'...This magnificent work of art arrived at Lartington Hall last week. Bulletti was also commissioned by the Silvertops of Minsteracres, near Consett, Co. Durham - unsurprisingly they had close connections with the Withams and similarly employed Joseph Hanson. In 1865 Bulletti moved to Newcastle's bustling Grey Street where he remained until 1869. His achievements during this period included a carved walnut table exhibited at the Fine Art Exhibition at Newcastle town hall in 1866. This was favourably received....`a magnificent work of art, poetical, vigorous in conception and design whilst manipulative skill displayed in the execution is of the most exquisite character'. However despite the table's great merit it still remained for sale in 1870 at the price of 400 guineas. In the 1871 Newcastle census Bulletti described himself as a designing artist of forty seven and a widower with two sons. He remained in the city until 1878, variously listing himself in local directories as a sculptor, carver, gilder and more intriguingly as a carpet designer. Despite their contrasting styles, Thomas Tweedy, proprietor of Newcastle's leading carving firm, commissioned Bulletti to carve a large panel for Sir Hugh Taylor at Chipchase Castle. It was titled 'The March of Time' and its carving was executed in higher relief than his work at Lartington and stylistically it was more akin to early 17th century Flemish work. At the end of 1878 Bulletti moved to London to take up a position as chief instructor at the newly created `School of Art Wood- Carving' at 3 Somerset Street, Portman Square, before transferring to rooms at the Albert Hall. However the school gained a reputation for attracting titled women students for whom carving was a pleasant hobby rather than a job. Consequently the school was not popular with the trade and furthermore its first exhibition of students' work in 1880 drew criticism from the Cabinet Maker. In 1882 Bulletti left the school due to ill health. However the school continued under the management of Miss Eleanor Rowe, one of his most talented pupils, until 1902. Bulletti continued to produce designs, including an 'Artistical Sideboard' which incorporated elements based on his work at Lartington some twenty years earlier. Bulletti was last recorded at Maude Road, off the Fulham road in 1885 but was no longer listed in directories as a carver. A small Bulletti panel sold Anderson & Garland, 18 June 2019, lot 466 and a further example is in the collection of the National Trust at Hughenden, Buckinghamshire.
A Victorian Satinwood and inlaid bedside cupboard, circa 1870, with a single panel door enclosing a shelf, inlaid throughout with ebonised stringing and the door headed by Kingwood banding, 81cm high, 38cm wide, 34cm deep together with a Victorian Oregon pine bedside cupboard, circa 1860 by Howard & Sons, the moulded top above a single panel door with reel-turned mouldings, 76cm high, 39cm wide, 36cm deep, the top of the door stamped ' HOWARD & SONS BERNERS ST' (2) This lot is to be sold without reserve Please note; The present satinwood bedside cupboard is identical to one of a pair of bedside cupboards forming part of a bedroom suite, Sold Sotheby's London, 'Furniture, Silver, Paintings and Works of Art from the Collection of the late Sir Harold Wernher Bt., G.C.V.O., Luton Hoo, 24-25 May, 1995, lot 244’
Four Greek pottery vessels, including an Attic black-glazed lekythos, the decoration highlighted with white and purple slip with incisions, the panel decorated with four himation-clad figures, possibly dancing, with vine tendrils in the field, circa 500 B.C., 16.4cm high, some surface wear; an Attic black glazed 'salt' , late 5th Century B.C., with surface encrustations and a chip to the rim, 6.6cm diam; a miniature red-figure bell krater, each side with the profile head of a lady of fashion set within a panel, Southern Italy, circa 4th Century B.C., 12cm high, repaired; a black-glazed thin-walled skyphos, circa 4th Century B.C., 8.3cm high, some chips and surface wear (4) Provenance: By repute acquired by Sir William Whitfield in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1940's
A George II style mahogany library bookcase, the broken arch pediment with egg and dart mouldings and a central platform for a bust or vase flanked by acanthus scrolls with eagle head terminals, the pair of panelled astragal doors enclosing adjustable shelves, the lower part with a Vitruvian scroll-carved waist moulding incorporating a pair of book rests, the lower part with two pairs of articulated fielded-panel cupboard doors each enclosing a drawer and a shelf, on a plinth with a ribbon-and-rosette carved border, with associated bust, 283cm high, 208cm wide, 54cm deep Provenance: Bought by R.W. Symonds for Geoffrey Blackwell.James Kenneth Weir, 2nd Viscount Weir of Eastwood CBE Acquired by the present owner, anonymous sale, Christie's London, 12 March 1981, lot 108 Literature: R.W. Symonds, 'Furniture in the Collection of Mr Geoffrey Blackwel', Apollo, April 1936, pp. 192-4, fig. II P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1954, vol. 1, p. 83, fig. 11.R.W. Symonds 'A Fine Pair of Library Bookcases', Country Life, 29 May 1958, pp. 1176-7, fig. 1 P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed., 1964, p.53, fig. 7. The present bookcase is designed in the Roman style first promoted by the architect Inigo Jones (d. 1637) and later adopted by Richard Boyle 3rd Earl of Burlington and his circle including William Kent. The centre of the pediment features Jupiter eagles flanking a bracket intended for the display of a bust. The design is shares similarities, in respect of its pediment and glazing bars with a Tuscan bookcase pattern of 1739, illustrated in Batty Langley's Treasury of Designs: or the Art of Drawing and Working the ornamental parts of Architecture, London, 1745, pl. 58. The eagles to the centre of the pediment are paralleled in Langley's design for a chimney-piece in Gothic Architecture Improv'd by Rules and Proportions, 1742 (pl. 47). The present bookcase sold Christie's 12 March 1981, lot 108, forming one of three lots (106-108) designated as 'The Property of a Nobleman'. Lot 106, another bookcase of a very similar design, was purchased by Geoffrey's Blackwell's son John. The latter catalogued as A George II mahogany bookcase, circa 1740, with minor alterations sold more recently (Euro 277,050) Christie's Antwerp, 'Axel Vervoordt', 10-12 May 2004, lot 110 with provenance: possibly supplied to the Fermor family, Tusmore, Oxfordshire and possibly sold with the house to the 2nd Earl of Effingham (d. 1889). Please note, this lot is 293cm high and not as printed in the catalogue.
Ï’ A Regency amboyna, rosewood crossbanded and gilt-brass mounted pier table, circa 1815, the raised mirror panel back with a pierced anthemion gallery above and open shelf and pierced, scrolling supports, the top above a cut brass-inlaid frieze with a drawer, on scrolled front supports headed by palmette lappets and with paw feet resting on an inverted breakfront plinth, 137cm high, 97cm wide, 41cm deep Ï’ Indicates that this lot may be subject to CITES regulations when exported. Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information.
A George I carved and gilt-gesso centre table, circa 1720, in the manner of James Moore, the rectangular top with a central panel decorated with a sunflower amongst acanthus and further flowers within a scrolling acanthus and strapwork border and leafy moulded edge, the conforming frieze centred on each side by pierced and carved ornament, the hipped cabriole legs on square pad feet, the underside bearing a the trade label of 'LENYGON & MORANT, Ltd., 31, OLD BURLINGTON STREET, LONDON, W.1.' with the manuscript '23/2/39 Property of HRH The Duke of Kent KG, a carved and gilt gesso centre table (one of a pair); together with another trade label of 'FRANK PARTRIDGE & SONS LTD., WORKS OF ART, 26 KING STREET, St James's SW and at New York', Also bearing the chalk number '3759'. n74cm high, 111cm wide, 59cm deep, re-gilt and some re-gessoing, the angle brackets to the legs replaced Provenance: Property of HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent KG Lenygon and Morant, Ltd. Frank Partridge & Sons Ltd. Prince George, Duke of Kent, KG, KT, GCMG, GCVO According to the Lenygon and Morrant paper label on the underside, the present lot was the property of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary and the younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI. Prince George served in the Royal Navy in the 1920s and then briefly as a civil servant. He became Duke of Kent in 1934 following his marriage to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. Like his mother, Queen Mary, Prince George had a keen eye for period furniture and decorative arts, building an impressive collection to furnish his home. In the late 1930s he served as an RAF officer, but was killed in a military air-crash on 25 August 1942. The property of Prince George and his wife Princess Marina was sold at Christie's in 2009 , however the present lot was sold with its counterpart earlier in the 1930s.The Table Elements in the design of the present table have marked affinities with documented examples of early 18th century giltwood furniture by the Royal cabinet-maker James Moore. In particular the strapwork decorated top relate to tables in the Royal collection recorded at Hampton Court Palace, and Kensington Palace, both by the same maker. A possible influence on Moore and his predecessors' designs was a French engraving for a side table by Pierre Le Pautre, published in his Lievre de tables qui sont dans les apartmments du Roy, c. 1700, pl. 4, which in common with the offered lot features a diaper trellis pattern to part of its frieze (see Adam Bowett, Early Georgian Furniture, 1715-1740, 2009, pp. 300-201, pls. 5:1-5:3). The unusual broken cabriole form to the legs is also seen in a set of giltwood chairs at Blenheim, a pair of tables formerly in the collection of the Duke of Newcastle, both firmly attributed to James Moore, and a pair of giltwood torcheres at Treasurer's House, York possibly commissioned by 1st Duke of Marlborough for Blenheim Palace from James Moore Snr. (1670-1726). Lenygon and Morant Francis Lenygon opened Lenygon & Co., in 1904, and in 1909 merged with Morant & Co., to become Lenygon & Morant, with premises at 31 Old Burlington Street. Francis published his seminal book 'Decoration and Furniture of English Mansions during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries' in 1909 and featured a series of illustrations showing several pieces acquired by the firm in situ at their Burlington Street studio. He made a name for himself by acquiring complete period rooms, including a Dutch Painted Room from Groningen, Holland and others, which were described as 'the most interesting and important complete room[s] - both historically and artistically - which has ever been exhibited (Lenygon & Morant, Description of the Painted Room in the Collection of Messrs Lenygon & Co. Ltd, 1910). The firm received commissions from many prominent patrons, including industrialists, aristocrats and the Royal family. The firm held royal warrants under four successive kings: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, and George VI.
A Paris historical tapestry, Faubourg Saint-Marcel workshops, woven by François de la Planche (Frans van der Planken), The Feast, or Artemisia Instructing her Architect, from The Story of Queen Artemisia, second quarter 17th century, to the design by Antoine Caron, the central field with Artemisia, Lygdamis and entourage dining in a formal garden with architectural capriccio and balustrade; the border woven with lion's masks, trophies and flowering vases, weaver's mark FVP to the lower left selvedge, approximately 424cm square Provenance and published: Probably the panel sold at Sotheby's London, 25 March 1966, lot 16, the Property of a Gentleman The present piece is referred to in C. Adelson, European Tapestry in The Minneapolis Institute of Art, 1994, pp. 223-224, note 8, and K. Brosens, European Tapestries in the Art Institute of Chicago, 2008, p. 244 The present lot depicts a scene from the popular Artemisia series. The series was inspired by Nicolas Houel's L'histoire de la Royne Arthemise published in 1562, a collection of sonnets about the lives of two ancient Queens of Caria rolled into one protagonist, the first perhaps best known for commissioning the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the tomb of her husband Mausolus, and the second for providing an education to her son and acting as a ruler during his childhood (5th century BC). Houel's poems were said to glorify the life of Catherine de' Medici, who was also widowed after the loss of her husband King Henri II of France, and acted as Regent while her son Charles IX was a minor (the role of Charles in the story can be compared to that of Artemisia's son Lygdamis). The sonnets were accompanied by tapestry designs, most of which were created by Antoine Caron (1521-1599), painter to the King and part of the School of Fontainebleau. The episode depicted here, often referred to as 'the Feast', adheres relatively faithfully to the central section of the design by Caron, which is in the collection of the Musée du Louvre RF. 29728 bis3. However, the figural groups to the background and particularly the rear right corner have been omitted. Though inspired by mannerist designs, the tapestry cycle remained popular throughout the 17th century and various groups are recorded, including in the inventory made after the death of weaver Francois de la Planche in 1627, whose mark is woven into the right selvedge of the present lot. Seven various border designs of the series are recorded, and the 'lion and trophy' version was a popular choice. See for example a fragment of the present 'Feast' scene with similar border in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago (Inv. 1890.10). Another series with a slight variety to the border also bearing the FVP weaver's mark is in the collection of the Residenz Munich, commissioned by the Archduke of Austria in the first quarter of the 17th century.Other sets with similar borders include the six panels at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, likely collected by the 3rd Earl Somers during the 19th century, as well as the five known panels originally from the Château de Suzanne possibly from the same set, most of which are now at the New Orleans Museum of Art. One of the pieces from the Suzanne set representing the present scene, referred to by Heinrich Göbel as as the 'Queen and her successor dining in the palace garden...' (1) has appeared on the art market, though it is likely not the panel presented here. Another set, originally from the Château de Noizay and likely the one requisitioned from Nicolas Fouquet by Louis XIV and previously installed at Chambord, is at the Hotel de Sully, Paris. Though most of these have lost their bottom borders, Bruno Saunier speculates that there may have originally been other pieces in this same set, such as the one preserved at the Musee du Louvre (2). Interestingly, the panel presented here shares strong similarities with the borders in this design, and may have once been part of a similar set. (1) B. Saunier, Lisses et délices, Chefs-d'oeuvres de la tapisserie, exhibition catalogue, Château de Chambord, September 1996 - January 1997, pp. 76-77 (2) H. Göbel, Wandteppiche, II: die Romanischen Länder, 1928, pp. 66-67 For further reading please see: Adelson, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 1994, pp. 160-288 Brosens, Art Institute of Chicago, 2008, pp. 236-244 T. Campbell (ed.) Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor, exhibition catalogue, Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 140-147 Please note: the tapestry is a little more narrow than stated in the printed catalogue, and is approximately 410cm wide
A pair of carved bronzed wood panels by Anton Leone Bulletti, Florence, dated 1864, in the baroque style, grotesque green man masks, goats heads and a dancing maiden in a central roundel, each with elaborate foliate scroll carving and ivory painted grounds, each 290cm high and of varying widths between 80cm and 89cm Provenance: Lartington Hall, Co. Durham Literature: Rosamond Allwood, `The Eminent Italian Artist, Signor Bulletti', Furniture History Vol. 25 (1989), pp. 250-256, figs. 2 and 3. Following a visit to Rome in 1854 the fourth Duke of Northumberland decided to redecorate the interiors of Alnwick with wood carvings in an Italianate seicento manner, under the direction of the architect Anthony Salvin. This was in contrast to Salvin's chosen mediaeval style for the exteriors and rather than import the wood-work from Italy, Salvin saw this as an opportunity to set up a school of Italian style carving at the castle. It was on this basis that he invited the Tuscan carver Anton Leone Bulletti (b.1824), to be its director with the Alnwick carver John Brown acting as foreman. A total of twenty-one carvers were engaged from London, Newcastle, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in advance of the carving studio's opening in 1855. It was here that the ornately carved doors, shutters and ceiling panels were produced for the castle. By 1860, the majority of the interior work was complete at which point Bulletti left his post at Alnwick to set up a business as a carver and draftsman at 30 High Bridge, Newcastle. One of his first commissions was for the Rt. Revd. Monsignor Witham, at Lartington Hall, Co. Durham. This followed Withham's decision to embark on an ambitious programme of building works under the direction of the architect Joseph Hanson. These included a grand entrance corridor and port cochere completed in 1863, for which Witham commissioned Bulletti to make a twelve foot high mirror frame and a series of carved wall panels including the present lot. Further carvings are thought to have been supplied by Bulletti for Thomas Witham's private suite above the servant's hall. Unlike the style of his work at Alnwick, Bulletti's work at Lartington was heavily influenced by the carvings of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo who produced carvings for the Royal palaces in Turin during the 1780s. In contrast to his English contemporaries such as Gerard Robinson and the Warwick school of carvers, who worked in a more three dimensional style, Bulletti's mounted his carving on panels of contrasting colour. The entrance hall mirror frame was described in the Teesdale Mercury in 1863 ... A Splendid specimen of wood carving of the highest order. In the centre of the bottom of the frame is the crest of Mr Witham supported on either side by dragons with eagle's heads. From these spring the conventional foliage, which in the present instance consists of the thistle, the convolvulus and the Primrose. About the centre of each side of the frame, the allegorical figures of two storks destroying a serpent are introduced and above these is a panel bearing on one side the date, and on the other side the motto, 'solo virtus victit'...This magnificent work of art arrived at Lartington Hall last week. Bulletti was also commissioned by the Silvertops of Minsteracres, near Consett, Co. Durham - unsurprisingly they had close connections with the Withams and similarly employed Joseph Hanson. In 1865 Bulletti moved to Newcastle's bustling Grey Street where he remained until 1869. His achievements during this period included a carved walnut table exhibited at the Fine Art Exhibition at Newcastle town hall in 1866. This was favourably received....`a magnificent work of art, poetical, vigorous in conception and design whilst manipulative skill displayed in the execution is of the most exquisite character'. However despite the table's great merit it still remained for sale in 1870 at the price of 400 guineas. In the 1871 Newcastle census Bulletti described himself as a designing artist of forty seven and a widower with two sons. He remained in the city until 1878, variously listing himself in local directories as a sculptor, carver, gilder and more intriguingly as a carpet designer. Despite their contrasting styles, Thomas Tweedy, proprietor of Newcastle's leading carving firm, commissioned Bulletti to carve a large panel for Sir Hugh Taylor at Chipchase Castle. It was titled 'The March of Time' and its carving was executed in higher relief than his work at Lartington and stylistically it was more akin to early 17th century Flemish work. At the end of 1878 Bulletti moved to London to take up a position as chief instructor at the newly created `School of Art Wood- Carving' at 3 Somerset Street, Portman Square, before transferring to rooms at the Albert Hall. However the school gained a reputation for attracting titled women students for whom carving was a pleasant hobby rather than a job. Consequently the school was not popular with the trade and furthermore its first exhibition of students' work in 1880 drew criticism from the Cabinet Maker. In 1882 Bulletti left the school due to ill health. However the school continued under the management of Miss Eleanor Rowe, one of his most talented pupils, until 1902. Bulletti continued to produce designs, including an 'Artistical Sideboard' which incorporated elements based on his work at Lartington some twenty years earlier. Bulletti was last recorded at Maude Road, off the Fulham road in 1885 but was no longer listed in directories as a carver. A small Bulletti panel sold Anderson & Garland, 18 June 2019, lot 466 and a further example is in the collection of the National Trust at Hughenden, Buckinghamshire.
A pair of French or English wrought iron grille or balcony panels, 19th century, each openwork square field with central aperture and surrounding foliage and scrolls, approximately 60cm square; and another cast iron panel in Gothic Revival taste, cast with tracery, 92cm high, 62cm wide This lot is to be sold without reserve
A pair of carved bronzed wood panels by Anton Leone Bulletti, Florence, dated 1864, in the baroque style, bearing strapwork framed cabochons inscribed 'MAECENATI SUO IDIBUS DECUMBRIS. 1864.' and 'ADDICTISIMUS' , each with elaborate foliate scroll carving and ivory painted grounds, each 290cm high and of varying widths between 80cm and 89cm Provenance: Lartington Hall, Co. Durham Literature: Rosamond Allwood, `The Eminent Italian Artist, Signor Bulletti', Furniture History Vol. 25 (1989), pp. 250-256, figs. 2 and 3. Following a visit to Rome in 1854 the fourth Duke of Northumberland decided to redecorate the interiors of Alnwick with wood carvings in an Italianate seicento manner, under the direction of the architect Anthony Salvin. This was in contrast to Salvin's chosen mediaeval style for the exteriors and rather than import the wood-work from Italy, Salvin saw this as an opportunity to set up a school of Italian style carving at the castle. It was on this basis that he invited the Tuscan carver Anton Leone Bulletti (b.1824), to be its director with the Alnwick carver John Brown acting as foreman. A total of twenty-one carvers were engaged from London, Newcastle, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in advance of the carving studio's opening in 1855. It was here that the ornately carved doors, shutters and ceiling panels were produced for the castle. By 1860, the majority of the interior work was complete at which point Bulletti left his post at Alnwick to set up a business as a carver and draftsman at 30 High Bridge, Newcastle. One of his first commissions was for the Rt. Revd. Monsignor Witham, at Lartington Hall, Co. Durham. This followed Withham's decision to embark on an ambitious programme of building works under the direction of the architect Joseph Hanson. These included a grand entrance corridor and port cochere completed in 1863, for which Witham commissioned Bulletti to make a twelve foot high mirror frame and a series of carved wall panels including the present lot. Further carvings are thought to have been supplied by Bulletti for Thomas Witham's private suite above the servant's hall. Unlike the style of his work at Alnwick, Bulletti's work at Lartington was heavily influenced by the carvings of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo who produced carvings for the Royal palaces in Turin during the 1780s. In contrast to his English contemporaries such as Gerard Robinson and the Warwick school of carvers, who worked in a more three dimensional style, Bulletti's mounted his carving on panels of contrasting colour. The entrance hall mirror frame was described in the Teesdale Mercury in 1863 ... A Splendid specimen of wood carving of the highest order. In the centre of the bottom of the frame is the crest of Mr Witham supported on either side by dragons with eagle's heads. From these spring the conventional foliage, which in the present instance consists of the thistle, the convolvulus and the Primrose. About the centre of each side of the frame, the allegorical figures of two storks destroying a serpent are introduced and above these is a panel bearing on one side the date, and on the other side the motto, 'solo virtus victit'...This magnificent work of art arrived at Lartington Hall last week. Bulletti was also commissioned by the Silvertops of Minsteracres, near Consett, Co. Durham - unsurprisingly they had close connections with the Withams and similarly employed Joseph Hanson. In 1865 Bulletti moved to Newcastle's bustling Grey Street where he remained until 1869. His achievements during this period included a carved walnut table exhibited at the Fine Art Exhibition at Newcastle town hall in 1866. This was favourably received....`a magnificent work of art, poetical, vigorous in conception and design whilst manipulative skill displayed in the execution is of the most exquisite character'. However despite the table's great merit it still remained for sale in 1870 at the price of 400 guineas. In the 1871 Newcastle census Bulletti described himself as a designing artist of forty seven and a widower with two sons. He remained in the city until 1878, variously listing himself in local directories as a sculptor, carver, gilder and more intriguingly as a carpet designer. Despite their contrasting styles, Thomas Tweedy, proprietor of Newcastle's leading carving firm, commissioned Bulletti to carve a large panel for Sir Hugh Taylor at Chipchase Castle. It was titled 'The March of Time' and its carving was executed in higher relief than his work at Lartington and stylistically it was more akin to early 17th century Flemish work. At the end of 1878 Bulletti moved to London to take up a position as chief instructor at the newly created `School of Art Wood- Carving' at 3 Somerset Street, Portman Square, before transferring to rooms at the Albert Hall. However the school gained a reputation for attracting titled women students for whom carving was a pleasant hobby rather than a job. Consequently the school was not popular with the trade and furthermore its first exhibition of students' work in 1880 drew criticism from the Cabinet Maker. In 1882 Bulletti left the school due to ill health. However the school continued under the management of Miss Eleanor Rowe, one of his most talented pupils, until 1902. Bulletti continued to produce designs, including an 'Artistical Sideboard' which incorporated elements based on his work at Lartington some twenty years earlier. Bulletti was last recorded at Maude Road, off the Fulham road in 1885 but was no longer listed in directories as a carver. A small Bulletti panel sold Anderson & Garland, 18 June 2019, lot 466 and a further example is in the collection of the National Trust at Hughenden, Buckinghamshire.
Ï’ A French amboyna, ebonised and gilt-metal mounted jardinière table, in the Louis XVI style, circa 1870, the canted rectangular top with a removable panel, on tapered square legs, 77cm high, 88cm wide, 54cm deep This lot is to be sold without reserve Ï’ Indicates that this lot may be subject to CITES regulations when exported. Please see our Terms & Conditions for more information.
Two scagliola panels, 20th century, each rectangular section slate panel painted with three circles in the style of polychrome inlay, 20 x 44cm overall This lot is to be sold without reserve. Please note: one of these panels was broken after this photograph was taken. It has a diagonal break right next to the simulated lapis circle.
A Flemish historical tapestry, probably Brussels, after Karel van Mander II, second quarter 17th century, The Triumph of Mark Anthony over the Parhians, from the Mark Antony and Cleopatra cycle, the central field with richly attired Oriental figures kneeling and standing before the Roman general, standard bearers behind him, before an architectural background; the borders woven with military trophies, figures of Athena and Mars, festoons, lions and vignettes, with Brussels town mark B*B to the lower left selvedge, approximately 335cm wide, 406cm high The present panel shows Mark Anthony's only Roman Triumph over the Parthians circa 33BC, and is part of the larger series of tapestries of the History of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Karel van Mander II is known to have worked on designs for this series in 1621.Most tapestries of this cycle, including one with a border design similar to the present panel sold at Christie's 31 October 2012, lot 139, are variously attributed to Northern Netherlandish workshops including those of Pieter de Cracht and Jacques Nauwincx. It is not impossible that this tapestry originated in one of these workshops, as several sets of the Antony and Cleopatra cycle are documented to have carried Brussels town marks despite their different origins.This is possibly the panel sold at Sotheby's, 12th March 1965, lot 33, which is there described as 'Marc Anthony receiving tribute from the King of the Orient' and 'bearing the B*B town mark in the lower selvedge'. See E. Hartkamp - Jonxis in Flemish tapestry weavers and designers in the Northern Netherlands, Leuven University Press, 2002, pp. 15-41
A George III carved and oil gilded, cheval firescreen, circa 1775 in the manner of Linnell, the cartouche shaped panel in the form of crossed palm fronds and now inset with a 19th century armorial panel with the motto 'Spectemur Agendo', the conforming supports with a crossed frond stretcher and splayed feet, 122cm high, 65cm wide, 30cm deep Footnote: The arms on the tapestry panel are identifiable as being of the illustrious Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough (1754-1834) GCB and was likely supplied to him for his home Bishopteignton Lodge in Devon. Thornbrough was a senior, long-serving veteran officer of the British Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, being wounded several times and once captured by American forces after a shipwreck. During the wreck, his conduct towards American prisoners aboard his ship was considered so exemplary that the American authorities later released him without parole or exchange. During the later conflict, Thornbrough won praise for taking his frigate into the thick of the action at the Glorious First of June, towing the shattered HMS Bellerophon to safety after she was isolated by several French ships of the line. Later, Thornbrough became a senior admiral in both the Channel Fleet and the Mediterranean Fleet under Cuthbert Collingwood, who held him in high esteem. He retired in 1818 and settled in Devon with his third wife, dying in 1834.He married three time: firstly in 1784 Anne Le Cras (died 1801), by whom he had an only son Edward Le Cras Thornbrough (1795-1857) later an Admiral in the Royal Navy. He married secondly in 1801 Elizabeth Jeynes (1775-1813) and in 1813 for the third time Frances Le Cras (died 1851) sister of his first wife both being daughters of Edward Le Cras Commander of the Royal Navy. Sir Edward was a descendant of John Thornb(o)rough (1551-1641) Bishop of Worcester.
A Chinese export lacquer occasional table, early 19th century, the top with a glazed inset painted silk panel, 74cm high, 67cm wide, 60cm deep, together with A George II style Japanned hanging corner cupboard, early 20th century of bow-front form with chinoiserie decoration, enclosed by a single door, 86cm high, 47cm wide, 32cm deep; and a japanned polescreen, 19th century, approximately 100cm high This lot is to be sold without reserve
A pair of Victorian carved and parcel gilt oak panels in Gothic Revival taste, last quarter 19th century, each openwork panel carved with two tiers of arcading, above a gallery of flowers and animals within square reserves, 79cm high including brass castors, 140cm wide This lot is to be sold without reserve
An Antwerp Historical Tapestry, probably by the workshop of Jan Frans Cornelissen or Anna Maria Wauters, The Sacrifice to the Unknown God, from The Story of Emperor Octavian Augustus, circa 1660-1690, the design attributed to Justus van Egmont, woven in wools and silks, depicting Augustus, crowned with laurel, standing before an altar with inscription IGNOTO DEO, surrounded by priests, musicians and further kneeling and standing entourage, the fruiting and festooned borders woven with maidens personifying Peace and Victory respectively holding aloft military trophies headed by Imperial eagles, and with central cabochon to the upper swagged and flowering border, 271cm x 457cm The present series is first recorded in 1659, and takes its inspiration from the life of Augustus (63 BC - 14AD), the first Roman Emperor, as recorded by Suetonius. The son of a senator, Augustus served under Julius Caesar and was subsequently adopted by him. After the demise of Lepidus and Mark Antony (see the Brussels tapestry presented in this sale), with whom Augustus had entered into a triumvirate to rule the Roman republic, he became the sole ruler of Rome. His rule is mainly remembered as the start of the Pax Romana, an era of relative stability and peace. Justus van Egmont had studied under Rubens and Simon Vouet, and is known to have designed various tapestry cycles with Roman subject matter. A suite of tapestries attributed to the family-run Antwerp workshop of Wauters and Cornelissen with the same border design, reputedly from the collection of Maria Cristina, Queen of Spain, was sold at Christie's, 10 November 2005 (lots 92-103). Eight panels, whose different borders also include the cabochon motif, are at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. The present episode is relatively rare, though a known surviving example is at the Museu de Sao Roque, Lisbon. A fragmentary panel of the central section is at Cotehele, Cornwall. Parts of the series, again with similar borders, are at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.
An early 17th Century carved oak rectangular coffer: with a plain hinged moulded top, the front with gouged frieze and stiles and with triple arcaded panels in guilloche surrounds, the centre panel bearing the date 1616, 132cm (4ft 4in) long.*Provenance A prop from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
Attributed to Claes De Bruyn, a mid 15th Century carved oak Misericord: of a jester in costume, the rectangular panel lacking supporters, 30 x 25cm.* Note The jester bears an unmistakable resemblance to a group in the V & A and those in the church of St Peter, Leuven, east of Brussels, all carved by Claes de Bruyn between 1438-1441
A rare Elizabeth I oak Glastonbury armchair:, of pegged construction, the twin arcaded panel back with carved lozenge foliate centres and guilloche surrounds, with shaped scroll cresting with incised stylised leaves centred by a carved geometric pendant leaf, bearing the initials 'A. H.', having shaped arm supports and solid panel seat on X-frame legs.* Provenance. Circa 1900, a farm near Oakford, mid Devon.* Note Illustrated Tobias Jellinek Early British Chairs and Seats 1500 - 1700 p119 plate 127.* Note Two copies of this chair are on display at St Nicholas Priory, Exeter. About a dozen comparable chairs are recorded, seven of which have been found in Devon, prompting conjecture that they may have Devon provenance.
A George III mahogany and inlaid book table: crossbanded in rosewood bordered with boxwood lines, the open superstructure with a shaped gallery, the frieze drawer with baize inset writing panel, on square legs, united by a concave fronted undertier, 42cm (1ft 4 1/2in) wide, 100cm (3ft 3 1/4in) high.
Two Dutch blue and white delft 'biblical' tiles: comprising the Spies of Cannan in a circular panel with ox head corners, circa 1750, together with David holding the head of Goliath aloft on a sword in a circular panel with stylised flower head corners, early 19th Century, 12.5 & 13cm square.
A 17th Century oak rectangular dresser base:, the top with a ledge back and moulded edge, containing three short geometrically moulded panel drawers with waisted frieze, having a shaped recessed ogee pointed apron below, on turned baluster legs united by plain stretchers, terminating in turned feet, 188cm (6ft 2in) long, 87cm (2ft 10 1/4in) high.
A James I carved oak open armchair:, the raked back with guilloche flowerhead top rail with scroll cresting and bun finials, having a plain domed arch panel in guilloche surround, with foliate spandrels and channel moulded uprights, the shaped arm supports on baluster uprights, having a solid seat with loose cushion and channel moulded seat rail, with fret cut apron on turned legs, united by plain stretchers, terminating in block feet.
A George III mahogany gentleman's dressing chest: the top with a moulded edge, the frieze drawer with a crimson baize inset sliding panel concealing a fitted interior with open and lidded compartments and central adjustable ratchetted mirror, having a concealed exterior quadrant drawer to the side, containing three long drawers below with brass drop drapery swag handles and foliate cartouche escutcheons, on bracket feet, 90cm (2ft 11 1/2in) wide.
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