Dressing Table
ca. 1875 (made)
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This dressing table, is part of a suite of bedroom furniture designed by the architect and designer Thomas Jeckyll (1827-1881) for the master bedroom of 1 Holland Park, London, the home of A. A. or ‘Alecco’ Ionides (1840-1898). 'Alecco' and Jeckyll were friends, having studied art together in Paris in the late 1850s, and Ionides commissioned this bedroom furniture after his marriage to Isabella Sechiari in 1875.
Jeckyll used many decorative motifs and details derived from Chinese sources for the suite of bedroom furniture. On this dressing table the influence of Chinese designs can be seen in the combination of dark and light timbers, ebony mouldings, incised decoration, lattice work, and small curved brackets on the side of the flat top and around the base. According to a descendant of the Ionides family the dressing table originally had a mirror, now missing.
Jeckyll used many decorative motifs and details derived from Chinese sources for the suite of bedroom furniture. On this dressing table the influence of Chinese designs can be seen in the combination of dark and light timbers, ebony mouldings, incised decoration, lattice work, and small curved brackets on the side of the flat top and around the base. According to a descendant of the Ionides family the dressing table originally had a mirror, now missing.
Object details
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| Parts | This object consists of 28 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Walnut with ebony mouldings, carved and incised decoration, and brass fittings |
| Brief description | Walnut with ebony mouldings and brass fittings; designed by Thomas Jeckyll for 1 Holland Park, London, c. 1875 |
| Physical description | Desk of pedestal form, with a flat top with three long drawers underneath and a superstructure of cupboards and drawers at the back; two pedestals of drawers with shaped mouldings and lattice work on each side; cupboard doors and drawers with brass handles and ebony mouldings; decorated with shaped brackets on the sides of the superstructure and top and around the base of the pedestals, the sides of which are decorated with wavy and straight incised mouldings. |
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| Credit line | Given by members of the Handley-Read family in memory of Charles and Lavinia Handley-Read |
| Object history | This dressing table is part of the suite of furniture designed by Jeckyll for the master bedroom at No. 1 Holland Park, London, the home of A.A. (Alecco) Ionides. Apparently originally fitted with a mirror, the dressing table is close in design to Jeckyll's own writing table, a sketch of which survives in the Edward Green papers (Victoria and Albert Museum, NAL 86.ZZ.166 MSL/1996/8/6/1). According to family letters (Susan Weber Soros and Catherine Arbuthnot, Thomas Jeckyll Architect and Designer, 1827-1881, p. 187, n. 74) the firm of Holland and Sons may have been involved in making some of the furniture. The dressing table and matching commode (W.14-1972), belonged to Mrs Penelope Hotchkis, the youngest child of Alecco Ionides. She sold both pieces to Charles Handley-Read. |
| Historical context | Thomas Jeckyll was originally commissioned by the Greek merchant, financier and collector, Alexander Constantine Ionides, to design a new wing for No.1 Holland Park, London, in 1870-72. In 1875 Ionides gave the house to his son, A.A. ('Alecco') upon his marriage to Isabella Sechiari and 'Alecco' commissioned designs for a suite of furniture for the master bedroom in the new wing from Jeckyll. 'Alecco' and Jeckyll were old friends and members of the 'Paris Gang', with James Whistler and George Du Maurier; they had all studied art in Paris in the late 1850s. |
| Summary | This dressing table, is part of a suite of bedroom furniture designed by the architect and designer Thomas Jeckyll (1827-1881) for the master bedroom of 1 Holland Park, London, the home of A. A. or ‘Alecco’ Ionides (1840-1898). 'Alecco' and Jeckyll were friends, having studied art together in Paris in the late 1850s, and Ionides commissioned this bedroom furniture after his marriage to Isabella Sechiari in 1875. Jeckyll used many decorative motifs and details derived from Chinese sources for the suite of bedroom furniture. On this dressing table the influence of Chinese designs can be seen in the combination of dark and light timbers, ebony mouldings, incised decoration, lattice work, and small curved brackets on the side of the flat top and around the base. According to a descendant of the Ionides family the dressing table originally had a mirror, now missing. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.13:1 to 28-1972 |
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| Record created | July 26, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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