A George III Mahogany Secrétaire Display Cabinet (4479621)

An extremely rare and exceptionally fine mid 18th century Chippendale period carved mahogany secrétaire display cabinet in the manner of William Vile, having a moulded scroll pediment with acanthus carving and fine trellis centre with platform, above two glazed doors and glazed sides with two fixed shelves inside, above a ‘Chinese pagoda top’ carved edge and secrétaire section below, lined in green baize and fitted with eight pigeon-holes and four drawers, retaining the original ring handles, above two short and three graduated drawers veneered in exquisite ripple mahogany and retaining the original ornate swan-neck handles; on shaped ogee bracket feet.

Note: Display cabinets glazed on three sides are extremely rare. A further example with slightly less high-quality veneers, but probably from the same workshop, is illustrated in ‘The Dictionary of English Furniture’ and was exhibited at ‘The English Decorative Art Exhibition’ at Lansdowne House , London, in 1929. A virtually identical secrétaire cabinet, but glazed only at the front, was advertised by Owen Evan-Thomas Ltd. in Apollo magazine in October 1938.

Literature: Blanche Gordon Lennox, ‘English Decorative Art at Lansdowne House’, 1929, pl. LXXVI.
‘Apollo’, October 1938, appendix I.
Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, ‘The Dictionary of English Furniture’, revised edition, 1954, vol. I, p. 151, fig. 59.
‘The Antique Dealers’ Fair and Exhibition handbook’, 1954, p. 43.