? Morel & Hughes
Bergère 1812
Carved and gilt walnut, silk damask | 95.3 x 78.8 x 87.6 cm (whole object) | RCIN 2411
Blue Drawing Room, Buckingham Palace
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Set of six walnut bergères, carved and gilt, with cane sides. Enveloping top upholstered within laurel frame. Each arm supported by lion's head mask above leaf scrolls. Supported on four splayed legs, terminating in lion's paw feet with castors. Back and seat upholstered silk damask. This pair of chairs was supplied for Carlton House, possibly by the fashionable London firm of Morel & Hughes. They reflect the new ‘Grecian’ spirit in furniture design that had been promoted first by the connoisseur, collector and designer, Thomas Hope, in his 1807 publication, 'Household Furniture and Interior Decoration', and reflect the Regent’s taste for the modern.
Provenance
Identified in the Carlton House Ledger entry for 10 October 1812 as part of a set of bergères made by Morel & Hughes for the Prince Regent, at a cost of £158.12s each. However, the description in the ledger is scanty, and the provenance is therefore not certain. Nicolas Morel and Robert Hughes were partners in a cabinet-making and upholstery business at 13 Great Marlborough Street from 1805 until 1826.
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Carved and gilt walnut, silk damask
Measurements
95.3 x 78.8 x 87.6 cm (whole object)
Category
Object type(s)
