An Irish George II carved mahogany silver table, circa 1740

Acquired by the present owner from Paul Johnson of Johnson Antiques, 2000.

Johnston Antiques, An Exhibition of Irish Georgian Furniture, Dublin, cat.3, p.21.

This exceptional silver table exemplifies many of the key traits of Irish George II furniture, taking some of its form from its English counterparts but with a number of distinctive eccentricities. The tabletop is dished and without ornament, but the aprons show off the ‘verve and imagination’ expected of Irish furniture makers.[1] The scallop shell as is found centrally on the apron was common decorative motif. This table also has two bird heads integrated seamlessly into the scrolling foliate embellishments. These elements - likely acanthus leaves given both their form and the frequency in which these were employed as a decorative motif in tables of this kind – extend down the tops of the cabriole legs, culminating in a single trefoil leaf. These legs terminate in squared, clawed feet, also typical of furniture in Ireland in the mid-eighteenth century.[2]

This silver table the idiosyncrasies of Irish furniture to a particularly high standard. Firstly, the patination of the wood is of a especially high quality. Moreover, the solid background punching, more commonly reserved for gilt-gesso pieces outside of Ireland, was employed to add texture to low-relief mahogany works.[3] Finally, the intricacy and compositional fluidity of the relief carving around the apron is notably skilful, incorporating the acanthus leaf motifs on each corner to produce a design that flows smoothly around the table’s edge. A table of strikingly similar form sold at Christie’s London, 5^th April 2022, lot 292.

[1] The Knight of Glin and James Peill, Irish Furniture: Woodwork and Carving in Ireland from the Earliest Times to the Act of Union, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 2007, p.111.

[2] Ibid., p.103.

[3] Ibid.