Commode, English, 1760-1780? possibly a later copy, 1880-1920?

Mahogany commode with plain dipped top scrolled on either side with sliding top lid, shaped at front. Below this, the reeded front panel is a retracting shutter door. Four cabriole legs with foliated knees and scrolled feet.

Bought from the London antique dealer Frank Partridge in 1947. Previously in the Percival Griffiths Collection, from which the Museum had acquired several other items.

Museum numbers W.34-1939 to W.37-1938, a centre table, tripod table, armillary sphere and gate-leg table, were bought for the Museum by the National Art Collections Fund from the estate of Percival Griffiths (1861-1937). A mirror, W.39-1938 was also given by his widow, Mrs Percival Griffiths, in his memory. Percival Griffiths, a partner in the accountancy firm Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co., who lived at Sandridgebury, Hertfordshire, formed a collection of English furniture dating from the late 17th and early 18th century under the guidance of R.W. Symonds, the prolific writer on English furniture. The Symonds papers are held by Winterthur Museum in the USA. With the Symonds papers is an album of photographs labelled ‘Furniture Sandridgebury No 1’. R W Symonds’ book ‘English Furniture from Charles II to George II’ (1929) is illustrated with items from the Sandridgebury collection. In the foreword Griffiths writes of his experience and philosophy as a collector. Symonds wrote a ‘Portrait of a Collector’ about Percival Griffiths, in Country Life, June 13, 1952. See also 'Intuitively Collected', by Simon Houfe, Country Life 27 December 1990.

W.32-1947