A Fine George II mahogany tester bedstead

Headboard later, restorations; please note this lot is sold without a box spring or a mattress.

Headboard later; please note this lot does not have a box spring or a mattress; overall good restored condition; the tester with perishing to the varnish throughout and with old repaired breaks to the front corners; old repaired breaks to tips of C-scrolls of the front right side; the left side panel with two old repaired breaks to the right of the stylized shell; old repaired break to the back corner; the right side panel with an old repaired break to either side of the stylized shell carving; the shell appears to be reattached; old repaired break to the back corner and slightly loose from frame; the front left post with old repaired breaks to the top of the fluting at join with the collar with subsequent losses, infilling and inpainting to the fluting; the collar with inpainting and infilling and with two large chips to the edge; small old chips and nicks to the turned carving; carving to knee of leg applied the front edge of which is loose but present and can be easily re-glued but with small losses at join with left carving of knee; the paw foot with a large piece to the left side off, but present and can be easily re-glued; the front right post with small chips nicks and wear to the turned carving; small repaired chips to the top of the fluting at join with the collar which has minor chips and repairs; the foot appears to be good condition and slightly showing lines of construction; the back two posts pieced together at the top and with extensive old worm damage; the back posts appear to have been sanded down slightly revealing long worm canals throughout; however the posts appear to be sturdy and sound; each back post with a long replaced section to the tops approximately 18 inches in length; extensive loss to bottom of one post due to old worm; casters possibly replaced; overall with the usual old marks, scratches, scuffs and bruises.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present bed shares a number of attributes found in furniture made by the St. John's Square, Clerkenwell cabinet-maker, Giles Grendey.  The stylized shell and acanthus-carved legs and hairy paw feet directly correspond to a bed attributed to Grendey and supplied to John Robinson-Lytton (1724-62) for Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, which was sold Christie's, London, Property of the Lady Cobbold, November 14, 1996, lot 36 (£65,300).  This carving also corresponds to a suite of furniture thought to have been supplied by Grendey for the State apartments at Longford Castle, Wiltshire (Ralph Edwards and Margaret Jourdain, Georgian Cabinet-Makers, Country Life Ltd., London, rev. ed., 1955, fig. 48).  Grendey supplied a similar bed to Francis Fane (d. 1757), brother of the 8th Earl of Westmorland, for Brympton d'Evercy, Somerset, which sold Christie's, New York, The Collection of Professor and Mrs. Clifford Ambrose Truesdell, April 7, 2009, lot 80 ($188,500).  The cabriole legs have the same solid quality with acanthus carved knees and large scrolled toes which correspond to another suite of seat furniture supplied by Grendey for Gunton Park (Christopher Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840, W. S. Maney and Sons Limited, London, 1996, p. 243, fig. 437).  The stylized pierced shells of the tester bear similarities to those on the backrests of a suite of chairs which Grendey supplied to Henry Hoare of Stourhead, Wiltshire between 1746 and 1752 (Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, rev. ed. 1983, p. 275, fig. 154).