George Bullock Furniture

The Regency centre table, a rare piece, was designed in circular or round burr ash by George Bullock. Adorning the inlaid top is a broad border of ebonized floral vines within eboniz...

This exceptional Regency desk was specially crafted for one of the most legendary men in Western history, Napoléon Bonaparte. Commissioned by the British government for Napoléon's personal use during his exile on the island of St. Helena, the exceptionally rare relic was crafted by George Bullock, one of the most important British cabinetmakers of the 19th century. Absolutely extraordinary in both provenance and craftsmanship, a piece of furniture of this incredible importance is rarely seen on the market. When Napoléon was exiled to St. Helena in 1815, an order was issued by King George IV (then the Prince Regent) that the former Emperor “should be furnished in his banishment with every possible gratification and comfort.” It was thus that the renowned George Bullock was commissioned to create a group of furniture that was relatively unadorned, yet befitting Napoléon’s former status. This stately, masterfully crafted desk was among them and resided in Napoléon’s own bedroom during his six years on the remote island. He spent much of his remaining time writing his memoirs, many of which would have been penned on this very desk. Told in his own words, the story of his life became the single best-selling book of the 19th century. One of the most recognizable names in the world, Napoléon's rapid rise to power and equally swift downfall continues to fascinate almost 200 years after his death. Rising to prominence during the French Revolution, it was his genius as both a tactician and a statesman that won him the crown of Emperor of the French. Yet, his eventual defeat at the hands of the Coalition Forces - Great Britain, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, and the German States - leading to his banishment on the remote island of St. Helena. One of France’s most legendary figures, mementos belonging to the famed Emperor are highly coveted. This exceptional desk, crafted by one of the greatest names in British furniture for one of the greatest leaders of the modern age, is particularly extraordinary. George Bullock began his career as a modeler and sculpture artist in Liverpool before moving to London in 1812. It is unclear what prompted his move into furniture design, though it seems to have been a natural transition considering his prowess for line and form. The superior quality of his work soon made him very successful and sought after for special commissions, the most prestigious of which was supplying furniture for the exiled Emperor Napoléon on St. Helena. A plaque on the desk's front reads: "This console table / was used for the toilet of / the Emperor Napoleon / in his bedroom at St. Helena during his exile / rr … (f) … Count de las Casas' plan of Longwood House" Circa 1815 Measures: 32" high x 54" wide x 19 1/2" deep Provenance: Supplied in 1815 for use on St. Helena by Napoléon in Longwood House Recorded by Comte de Montholon in the inventory taken following Napoléon's death in 1821 Sir Hudson Lowe, 1821 John Copling, 1844 Private collection, 1867 Anonymous sale, Christie's London, July 1989 Private collection, United Kingdom Anonymous sale, Christie's London, November 2003 M.S. Rau Antiques...

A rare and important set of four side or dining chairs by famed and short-lived English Regency-period cabinet-maker and sculptor George Bullock (c. 1782 - 1818) of klismos form; the pollard oak frames having foliate inlays of ebony with burled holly tablets on crest rails and upholstered slip-seats. An identical chair is pictured in 'George Bullock Cabinet Maker, Introduction by Clive Wainwright' on page 90, example 27: 'Four Chairs - Oak inlaid with holly' with description as "The design for these chairs appears in the Wilkinson Tracings 9p. 5; here. 50). They are designed with a similarly deep rake to the back as those sold by Christie's from the Dining Room at Tew Park, and are part of a set of sixteen chairs formerly in the same house. It is not possible positively to identify these chairs in Bullock's account to M.R. Boulton, which records no other long suites apart from two sets of six oak chairs (apparently not inlaid), supplied for the Library and Drawing Room at a cost of £18.18. 0 per six. However, the extensive correspondence reveals that furniture was frequently swapped around , and it is possible that these chairs came to Tew during one of these changes. A further set of ten chairs of virtually the same design as these, but not from Tew Park, exist in a private collection. Bullock's use of dark, formalized inlays into pale wood on these chairs, and frequently elsewhere on his furniture, seems to anticipate the decoration on 'boise clair' furniture so fashionable in France during the 1820s." Biography: George Bullock (c. 1782 - 1818) was one of the most highly esteemed Regency furniture makers with a well researched career. After practicing as a sculptor in Liverpool, Bullock entered into short-lived cabinet-making partnerships, firstly with William Stoakes (1805 - 07) and then George and Joseph Gandy...

The Regency centre table, a rare piece, was designed in circular burl ash by George Bullock for Baker Furniture's Stately Homes collection. Adorning the inlaid top is a broad border ...

George Bullock centre/tripod table rosewood, oak, ebony, with brass inlay circa 1816.

Constructed in mahogany in the Egyptian taste, the ring turned and square section legs in the form of Temple Pylons; re-upholstered in modern fabric. GEORGE BULLOCK (1777-1818)