Cabinet c.1785-95
Oak veneered with ebony and tulipwood, bronze chased and gilt mounts, soft-paste porcelain plaque, brocatello marble shelves. | 96.5 x 139.0 x 50.1 cm (whole object) | RCIN 21696
-
The cabinet, rectangular in shape, has incurving splayed sides lined in glass and divided by a shelf. It is supported on four fluted tulipwood peg-top feet. The single door in the front is flanked by ebony panels fitted with matching candelabrum mounts. The frieze on the front and ends is chased with foliate arabesques, some scrolls terminating in eagle heads, incorporating clusters of grapes and birds. The arabesques are centred at the front on a bacchic head flanked by cornucopias and goats and at either end on a musical trophy between two addorsed putto satyrs. Running along the bottom of the cabinet are vertically striated bands, above which is a moulding chased with slanted fret motifs. The moulding is repeated along the top, but with the fret motifs enclosing husks.
The plaque fitted to the door is painted in polychrome with a basket of flowers (tulips, roses, peonies, convolvulus, cornflowers, delphiniums, poppies, etc.) resting on a mottled blue-grey marble shelf. Within the spandrels are pierced foliate triangular panels. Decorating the surrounds to the frames are trails of lush scrolling foliage and entwined tendrils, all in gilt bronze.
The orginal cabinet is likely to have been much plainer, probably without a porcelain plaque. In 1812-3 the cabinet was largely altered. The Prince Regent had acquired a rectangular porcelain plaque after an engraving of Nicholas Poussin's 'The Continence of Scipio', and on 22 April 1812 despatched it to Thomas Tatham to be 'placed in the door of the one of the Prince Regent's commodes.' This had certainly been done by July 1813, when the cabinet was sent to Vulliamy's for remodelling, new mounts and regilding, in order to make it match an existing cabinet with Sèvres panels by Carlin, which was already in Carlton House (RCIN 21697).
This plaque after Poussin was discarded and replaced by the current plaque in 1827, when the cabinet was sent to Nicholas Morel to adapt for use at Windsor. There is some confusion about the earlier history of this circular plaque; one possibility is that it came from the centre panel of a lacquer chest of drawers stamped by Joseph Baumhauer which was purchased by George IV at the sale of Philippe-Claude Maëlrondt (Lot 305) held in Paris on 15 November 1824 and following days. The plaque is described in the sale catalogue as ‘un grand médaillon rond en porcelaine de vieux Sèvres, représentant une corbeille de fleurs’. It bears the date-letter for 1768 which may be contemporaneous with the date of the Baumhauer chest of drawers.
Stamped on the back of the cabinet, twice: A + WEISWEILER (Adam Weisweiler, maître-ébéniste, active 1778-1820).
Text adapted from French Porcelain In the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, London, 2009Provenance
Acquired by George IV, possibly through his intermediary Dominique Daguerre, in the late 1780s or early 1790s for the furnishing of Carlton House. Altered by B.L.Vulliamy in 1813. Formerly with central rectangular panel painted with The Continence of Scipio, as recorded in Pictorial Inventory when in the Rose Satin Drawing Room, Carlton House.
Sent to Morel & Seddon 21 September 1827. Existing circular panel, dated 1768, probably taken from a lacquer commode by Joseph Baumhauer, bought by Sir Charles Long in Paris,1824. Part of the group of furniture and furnishings refurbished and supplied between 1827 and 1829 to King George IV by the partnership of Morel and Seddon for The Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
Nicholas Morel had formerly worked for The Prince of Wales, later George IV, at Carlton House and the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. Subsequently, he was commissioned to design and furnish the newly built apartments designed by Sir Jeffry Wyattville (1766-1840) for the King at Windsor Castle. In order to fulfil the contract he entered into partnership with George Seddon III whose family had large and long established furniture workshops in Aldersgate Street in the City of London. -
Creator(s)
(cabinet maker)(bronze maker)(restorer)(porcelain manufacturer)(nationality)(porcelain painter)Acquirer(s)
-
Medium and techniques
Oak veneered with ebony and tulipwood, bronze chased and gilt mounts, soft-paste porcelain plaque, brocatello marble shelves.
Measurements
96.5 x 139.0 x 50.1 cm (whole object)
37.3 cm (Width) (diameter)
Category
Object type(s)
