Cabinet
ca. 1870 (made)
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Revivals of historic styles were very fashionable for furniture in Britain in the 1860s and 1870s. The rectangular form and flat front of this cabinet is based on French furniture of the 1780s, while the classical decoration is taken from a variety of sources, including English Regency pattern books. The two female figures are from designs by Thomas Hope, published in 1809 in his book Costumes of the Ancients, which was reprinted in an expanded edition in 1841. The high quality of the construction is typical of the work of Holland & Sons, one of the largest and most prolific of Victorian cabinet-makers.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 8 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Marquetry of various woods with ivory inlay and gilt bronze mounts |
| Brief description | Marquetry cabinet of various woods with ivory inlay and gilt bronze mounts; made by Holland & Sons, English, 1867-72; from the Handley-Read collection. |
| Physical description | Rectangular with flat top, projecting central section and three doors, on moulded plinth with eight feet and elongated columns on corners; each door decorated with ivory and coloured inlay, the centre door with classical ornament and the outer doors with a draped female figure. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by members of the Handley-Read family in memory of Charles and Lavinia Handley-Read |
| Object history | The cabinet was lot 172 in Christie's London sale, 25th February 1971, lot 172; a table en suite, was stamped Holland & Sons on the drawer. The female figures are based on designs published by Thomas Hope in Costumes of the Ancients, 1st editiion 1809. An expanded edition was published in 1841. |
| Summary | Revivals of historic styles were very fashionable for furniture in Britain in the 1860s and 1870s. The rectangular form and flat front of this cabinet is based on French furniture of the 1780s, while the classical decoration is taken from a variety of sources, including English Regency pattern books. The two female figures are from designs by Thomas Hope, published in 1809 in his book Costumes of the Ancients, which was reprinted in an expanded edition in 1841. The high quality of the construction is typical of the work of Holland & Sons, one of the largest and most prolific of Victorian cabinet-makers. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jervis, Simon Swynfen, 'The Dispersal of the Handley-Read Collection', The Decorative Arts Society Journal, vol. 40 (2016), pp. 49-76, this cabinet discussed on p. 55 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.11:1 to 8-1972 |
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| Record created | July 19, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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