English; 1765; 1of 6, Adam/Chippendale for Moor Park

English; 1765; 1of 6, Adam/Chippendale for Moor Park

Wood, carved, painted and gilt. The pedestal is rectangular with a tapering shaft. The projecting cornice is carved with leaf mouldings and the frieze with three circular foliage paterae between swags of husks attached to smaller paterae. On three sides the shaft has sunk panels enclosed within leaf mouldings and decorated with interlacing sprays of leaves and berries designed as pendants. The plinth is carved at the top with two rows of decorated mouldings. The back of the pedestal, intended to stand against a wall, is without ornament.

Presented by Art Fund

Two Robert Adam Pedestals, gifted through National Art Collections Fund 27 April 1934, from Zetland

Notes from R.P. 34/1917

Listed among several objects donated
As "2 Pedestals - carved wood painted & gilt. W.24 to 24A."

24/4/34 Minute Paper
records their condition: "chipped, parts missing - six pedestals - received (collected from Messrs Christies by McDouall) for gift".

8/5/34 Note O Brackett
requests "pair of candelabra by Matthew Boulton and the six Adam pedestals from the Zetland sale"

Notes from R.P. 34/1791

17/4/34 Memorandum C Smith to Brackett
summarises the items in Christie's April 26th "Zetland Collection" sale and proposes that the NACF be approached to purchase two lots for the Museum. He laments that because "nearly all of the Adam furniture made for Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of Lord Zetland, is in sets" it is beyond the reach of the Museum. He suggests the purchase of
Lot 78: "Six Pedestals by Robert Adam". He proposes that 4 pedestals could be used by the Sculpture Department for English busts; and 2 could serve as stands for Lot 53: a pair of candelabra by Mathew Boulton. (the memorandum contains a detailed history of the candelabra) which were made for Dundas at the same date as the pedestals, i.e. about 1765, and in the illustration of them in the "Dictionary of English Furniture" by Macquoid and Edwards (Vol. III, p.154, fig. 8) they are shown standing on the pedestals. The Metalwork Dept. agree that, if acquired, the candelabra be shown on their pedestals in the Dept of Woodwork.

Mr Edwards has informed H C Smith that "the pedestals were probably executed for Sir Lawrence Dundas by a cabinet maker of the name of Samuel Norman. Mr Bolton, of the Soane Museum, who illustrates them in his work on the Adams brothers, was unaware of this".

17/4/34 letter, Brackett to the Director
describes the pedestals as "an important acquisition for the Museum as we have no documented Adam furniture in the permanent collections". Brackett explains the proposal to have 4 of the 6 pedestals used to display sculpture.

18/4/34 letter, Maclagan to Sir Robert Witt, NACF
suggests the acquisition of lots 53 and 78. He describes the 6 Adam pedestals as "of extraordinary beauty" and notes "such pedestals are particularly valuable to us in enhancing the beauty of our 18th century busts…" and two of them would be used to display lot 53. "There is no doubt that these two candelabra standing on the two pedestals would form a most attractive addition to our collections and would excite a great deal of public attention. We have at present no documented Adam furniture in our permanent collections and these pedestals appear to be admirable examples on a comparatively modest scale of his method of decoration…." He encloses photographs and explains that while 2 pedestals show slight damage; the others are intact. Any damage could easily be repaired in the Museum workshop.

18/4/34 letter, Maclagan to John Hugh Smith
asks him to support the NACF purchase as both lots "appear to be quite first-rate of their kind".

19/4/34 Handwritten notes
Sir Alex Martin (NACF) offers to do the bidding. The NACF voted £300 for the pedestals and £450 for the candelabra.

26/4/34 notes H C Smith
records the sale results:
"Lot 53 - The ormolu candelabra were secured for 170 guineas"
"Lot 78 - The 6 pedestals were secured for 30 guineas"

On loan to Kenwood House.

W.24A-1934