The Ards House Library

We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare, now discontinued, Thomas Chippendale Library bookcase which is an exact authorised copy of one from Princess’s Diana’s family home, the Althorp Estate, it was part of the Living History collection, made by Theodore Alexander and retailed through Brights of Nettlebed The Althorp estate is widely considered one of, if not the finest English country home left standing. You can see clips of the tours online, the place is an absolute marvel of English history. The estate is owned, and has been by the Spencer family’s for over 500 years, I’ll include the history below. The estate is currently in the stewardship of the Earl of Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother The bookcase itself is very fine, in flamed mahogany with a very regal oxblood velour lining. The handles inside the top section are leopard’s heads, you have two hidden drawers to the top, the right one has the Althorp family crest inside. The piece also has a removable coat of arms, armorial crest to the middle top Condition wise this piece is exquisite, there is very little in terms of wear or use, it has been cherished since new and is a very fine piece indeed Dimensions Height:- 202cm Width:- 81.5cm Depth:- 41cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point Althorp History  Althorp (popularly pronounced /'??l???rp/ AWL-thorp) is a Grade I listed stately home and estate in the civil parish of Althorp, in West Northamptonshire, England of about 13,000 acres (5,300 ha). By road it is about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the county town of Northampton and about 75 miles (121 km) northwest of central London, situated between the villages of Great Brington and Harlestone. It has been held by the prominent aristocratic Spencer family for more than 500 years, and has been owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer since 1992. It was also the home of Lady Diana Spencer (later Princess of Wales) from her parents' divorce until her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. Althorp is mentioned as a small hamlet in the Domesday Book as "Olletorp", and by 1377 it had become a village with a population of more than fifty people. By 1505 there were no longer any tenants living there, and in 1508, John Spencer purchased Althorp estate with the funds generated from his family's sheep-rearing business. Althorp became one of the prominent stately homes in England. The palace dates to 1688, replacing an earlier house that was once visited by Charles I. The Spencer family amassed an extensive art collection and other valuable household items. During the 18th century, the house became a major cultural hub in England, and parties were regularly held, attracting many prominent members of Great Britain's ruling class. George John, 2nd Earl Spencer, who owned Althorp between 1783 and his death in 1834, developed one of the largest private libraries in Europe at the palace, which grew to over 100,000 books by the 1830s. After falling on hard times, John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, known as the Red Earl, in 1892 sold much of the collection to Enriqueta Rylands, who was building the University of Manchester Library. Many of Althorp's furnishings were sold off during the twentieth century, and between 1975 and 1992 alone approximately 20% of the contents were auctioned. The house at Althorp was a "classically beautiful" red brick Tudor building, but its appearance was radically altered, starting in 1788, when the architect Henry Holland was commissioned to make extensive changes. Mathematical tiles were added to the exterior, encasing the brick, and four Corinthian pilasters were added to the front. The grand hall entrance to the house, Wootton Hall, was cited by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as "the noblest Georgian room in the county". The Great Dining Room in the east wing extension of the house was added in 1877 to designs by John Macvicar Anderson, its walls hung with faded, red damask silk. Numerous fireplaces and furnishings were brought to Althorp from Spencer House in London during the Blitz for safekeeping and still remain. The Picture Gallery stretches for 115 feet (35 m) on the first floor of the west wing, and is one of the best remaining examples of the original Tudor oak woodwork and ambiance in the mansion. It has an extensive collection of portraits, including Anthony van Dyck's War and Peace, a John de Critz...

Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, library, walnut, glass, Italy, 1970s This impressive library is designed by Itali...