Physical description
Japanned and parcel-gilt pinewood cabinet decorated with Chinese landscapes and figures.
[Dressing table] The carcass of the cabinet is made up of three bays each containing three dawers, the two at the sides covered with Chinese lattice doors, and the central one protruding in a serpentine fashion. The top drawer of the central section contains seven lesser dawers - (see below). The sides and back of the top are decorated with a fretted gallery, which was restored at a later date. The carcass stands on six tapering, japanned legs, the front four decorated in a herring-bone pattern.
[drawer] Left hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze foliate handles.
[drawer] Left hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze foliate handles. Five vertical scratches at the back.
[drawer] Left hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze foliate handles.
[drawer] Central drawer, laquered mahogany serpentine front, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, with mahogany interior. Gilded bronze loop handles in the rococo style with gilt rococo escutcheons. The inside is divided into three main sections, with hollows for boxes on both the left and right sections; and letter racks on the left and coin racks on the right. In both these sections are hollows for two concealed drawers each. In the central section are hollows for three drawers.
[drawer] Central drawer, lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze loop handles in the rococo style with gilt bronze rococo escutcheons.
[drawer] Central drawer, lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze loop handles in the rococo style with gilt bronze rococo escutcheons.
[drawer] Right hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze stud handles.
[drawer] Right hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze stud handles.
[drawer] Right hand drawer, the front lacquered pine, decorated with Chinese pagodas and figures, all other sides painted red on the inside and black on the outside. Gilded bronze stud handles.
[drawer] Open-topped box of mahogany, from the left-hand section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[drawer] Open-topped box of mahogany, from the left-hand section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[drawer] Narrow and deep drawer (for necklaces?) of mahogany with stud handle from the inner edge of the left section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952)
[drawer] Letter drawer of mahogany with stud handle from the inner edge of the left section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952)
[drawer] Removable mahogany board.
[drawer] Letter drawer of mahogany with stud handle from the central section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[drawer] Letter drawer of mahogany with stud handle from the central section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[box] Letter drawer of mahogany with stud handle from the central section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[box] Narrow and deep drawer (for necklaces?) of mahogany with stud handle from the inner edge of the right section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952)
[box] Letter drawer of mahogany with stud handle from the inner edge of the right section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952)
[box] Open-topped box of mahogany, from the right section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[board] Open-topped box of mahogany, from the right section of the top central drawer (W.55:5-1952).
[board] Detachable mahogany board, which separates the two right hand open-topped mahogany boxes (W.55:21-1952, W.55:22-1952).
[keys] Pair of keys to dressing table, new.
Place of Origin
London, England (made)
Date
ca. 1754 (made)
Artist/maker
John Linnell, born 1729 - died 1796 (designer)
William Linnell, born 1698 - died 1763 (maker)
Materials and Techniques
Pine and mahogany, with japanned decoration (painted with layers of pigmented varnish); handles of gilt bronze
Marks and inscriptions
[drawer] ivory plaque inscribed: 'Lady Ludlow Collection'
[drawer] ivory plaque inscribed: '781'
Dimensions
Height: 98 cm, Width: 144 cm, Depth: 72.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 12.6 cm, Width: 33.3 cm, Depth: 53.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 14 cm, Width: 32.6 cm, Depth: 53.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 15.3 cm, Width: 33 cm, Depth: 53.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 12.8 cm, Width: 64 cm, Depth: 65 cm
[drawer] Height: 13.5 cm, Width: 63 cm, Depth: 61 cm
[drawer] Height: 14.5 cm, Width: 63 cm, Depth: 61 cm
[drawer] Height: 12.6 cm, Width: 33.3 cm, Depth: 53.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 12.7 cm, Width: 33 cm, Depth: 53.6 cm
[drawer] Height: 15 cm, Width: 33 cm, Depth: 53.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 7 cm, Width: 8.6 cm, Depth: 8.6 cm
[drawer] Height: 7 cm, Width: 8.6 cm, Depth: 8.6 cm
[drawer] Height: 2.6 cm, Width: 4.5 cm, Depth: 8 cm
[drawer] Height: 3.8 cm, Width: 18.9 cm, Depth: 18.1 cm
[drawer] Width: 25.8 cm, Depth: 19.5 cm
[drawer] Height: 3.3 cm, Width: 25 cm, Depth: 28 cm
[drawer] Height: 3.3 cm, Width: 25 cm, Depth: 28 cm
[box] Height: 3.3 cm, Width: 25 cm, Depth: 28 cm
[box] Height: 4.4 cm, Width: 2.7 cm, Depth: 7.6 cm
[box] Height: 3.8 cm, Width: 18.9 cm, Depth: 18.1 cm
[box] Height: 7 cm, Width: 8.5 cm, Depth: 8.5 cm
[board] Height: 7 cm, Width: 8.5 cm, Depth: 8.5 cm
[board] Height: 8 cm, Depth: 9 cm
Object history note
Commissioned by the 4th Duke and Duchess of Beaufort for the Chinese Bedroom at Badminton House, South GloucestershireDesigned and supplied by the workshops of William and John Linnell, Berkeley Square, London.
When Dr. Richard Pococke visited Badminton in 1754 he referred to the `Bedchamber finished and furnished very elegantly in the Chinese Manner' (Travels through England, II, p.31). The 1835 inventory (401.4.4.(2),the earliest to survive) mentions ‘a Chinese sideboard with Drawers' as being in the South Breakfast Room. The inventory of 1849 (RA1/1/10a) referrs to a `Chinese Cabinet with drawers & Secretary' as being in the Chinese Room. That of 1913 (N5/1/1) mentions a ‘4' 8" Wide Queen Anne Lac Cabinet fitted three drawers in centre at six ditto at sides the latter enclosed by trellis doors, decorated Chinese landscapes river scenes pagodas set in gilt top with pierced gallery shaped from on square legs'. It was sold at Christie's on 30th June 1921 (lot 61). Having passed through the ownership of Sir Philip Fandel Philips, Lady Ludlow and finally Mrs James Rank before being purchased by the V & A in 1952 (Sotheby's, 11th July 1952, lot 129).
Historical significance: During the 1740s and 1750s, Chinese-inspired furniture was very fashionable. Engravers and aspiring cabinetmakers ranging from Battey Langley to Thomas Chippendale included designs for Chinese furniture. Joseph Goupy designed an octagonal House of Confucius at Kew, with walls made up of open lattice work. In 1750, William Halfpenny published New Designs for Chinese Temples, which included this type of Chinese lattice work. Despite her criticism of ‘the barbarous gaudy gout of the Chinese', Mrs Montague had a Chinese room at her own house in Hill Street, St. James's, decorated with very similar pieces of furniture by William Linnell, the highly fashionable cabinet maker of Berkeley Square. The Duke of Beaufort's Chinese furniture, already at Badminton by 1754, is probably the last examples of English Rococo-influenced Chinoiserie, before William Chambers, who had actually been to China, published his Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines and Utensils in 1757.
Descriptive line
Japanned pinewood cabinet decorated with Chinese landscapes and figures. British (London), 1753. Designed by John Linnell and made by William Linnell.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Pococke, Richard (Dr). Travels through England. London, 1754. Vol. II. p. 31.
Macquoid, Percy. A History of English Furniture: The Age of Satinwood. London: Lawrence & Bullen, 1908. pp. 13 - 24, fig. 16.
Tipping, H. A. Lacquer Furniture from Ragley and Badminton. Country Life 1921. Vol. LXIX. pp. 798 - 900.
[Christie's, Badminton, 30th June 1921, lot 61.]
[Sotheby's, 11th July 1952, lot 129.]
Hayward, Helena. Chinoiserie at Badminton: the furniture of John and William Linnell. Apollo. August 1969. pp. 134 - 139.
Hayward Helena and Pat Kirkham. William and John Linnell, Eighteenth Century Furniture Makers. London: Christie's and Studio Vista, 1980. Vol. I. pp. 106 - 108, pl. 5, 5a.
Labels and date
COMMODE
ENGLISH; about 1755
Japanned in black and gold
Attributed to William Linnell.
From Badminton House, Gloucestershire. [pre October 2000]
British Galleries:
This dressing table is decorated with 'japanned' Chinese landscapes and carved Chinese fretwork. Chinese decoration was considered especially suitable for bedrooms and dressing rooms in mid-18th century Britain. The cabinet-makers, William and John Linnell, were among the first to take up this style and the room at Badminton was at the forefront of fashion. [27/03/2003]
Production Note
No bill for the famous Badminton Chinoiserie room has survived but there is strong evidencefor the attribution to the Linnells. William Linnell supplied Mrs Montague with similar furniture for a Chinese Room at her house in Hill St., St. James's, London, in 1752. A design for a chair, very similar to the set of eight `Chinese' chairs, which belonged to the Duke's bedchamber, survives in a bound collection of drawings by William Linnell's son John, compiled in 1800 and now in the V&A's collection of designs (Museum number: E.71-1929).
Reason For Production: Commission
Materials
Bronze; Steel; Mahogany; Lacquer; Pine; Gold paint; Ormolu
Techniques
Painting (coating); Japanning
Subjects depicted
Temples; Mountains; Figures (representations); Clouds; Ponds
Categories
Furniture; British Galleries
Production Type
Unique
Collection code
FWK
