A massive George II mahogany, parcel-gilt and marble topped side table

the later grey-veined rectangular marble top in three sections above a fluted frieze between carved egg-and-dart mouldings and ribbon bound paterae beadings, the six outer acanthus and shell carved scrolled supports headed by triple and double volute capitals, on moulded block feet, the pair of inner supports of simple scrolled form with conforming carved decoration on moulded block feet all joined by intersecting moulded stretchers, reduced in size, originally with two additional supports, the inside right frieze with a paper ink manuscript inventory label 'T14'

George, 3rd Marquis Lansdowne, recorded in the Sculpture Gallery, Lansdowne House, 1819;
Thence by descent, transferred to the Picture Gallery at Bowood, Wiltshire, by 1865, until sold Sotheby's, 26 March 1920, lot 134;
William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, acquired from M. Harris & Sons (invoice 4 April 1920, MHDL 1192, £588), thereafter at Cedar Lawn before being given to W. Hulme Lever (altered and with a new marble top, X.Inv. X3849, annotated 'surmounted by a massive Breccia marble top (fractured in 2 places & slightly faulty) probably from the Pyrenees. From the collection of the late Marquis of Lansdowne, K.G. & originally in the big statue gallery at Lansdowne House probably in the days of Lord Sherburne (afterwards the first Marquis of Lansdowne) who collected fine marbles through Gavin Hamilton, the painter and antiquary: the table was removed to Bowood by the 4th Marquis in consequence of structural alterats /Store/ Table given to Mr Hulme Lever/Top still at Store (charlotte Mews in the yard against Western Wall)/£588 (all crossed through)'
'X3849A/Given to the Hon. W. Hulme Lever (with new marble top) delivered to Thornton Manor 7th Sept 1922/The old top was sold (with much difficulty) for 30/- after Lord Leverhulme's death/Large Marble Table Top/Top collected from Sotheby's 16.11.1921 Harris Charged £15 for removal from Cedar Lawn see memo to Harris 16.?.1923, £100');
William Lever, 2nd Viscount Leverhulme, in the Dining room at Thornton Manor by 1922 (T.Inv. T14)
Sold by Order of the Executors of the Late The Right Honourable The Viscount Leverhulme, K.G., The Leverhulme Collection, Sotheby's house sale, 26-29 June 2001, lot 179. 

The marble is veneered onto composition beds in the same way that many 18th century marble slabs are. Lovely purple elements to the marble suggestive of a Brêche Violet variety. Left hand section of the marble top as displayed in the galleries, has an old repaired breakd running across it, which has been skillfully restored so that it is only visible on close inspection. General chips and minor losses to all edges of marble including some corners. Lovely mellow patina to the marble. One of the scroll brackets to the left hand leg of the central pair of front legs has recently been re-attached with a modern screw to the inside of the oak block on to which the bracket is faced. It is slighly loose and needs restoring to higher standard. General chips and old repairs to the junctions of the stretchers. There are also some re-joined cuts to the stretchers running from side to side, consistent with the reduction in size of the table. Left hand side stretcher running from front to back has a minor crack which does not appear to be of structural concern. Re-joined cut to the central part of the fluted frieze above the central front left leg, with a small section of egg and dart moulding missing directly above. General minor wear, chips and losses to the parcel gilt detailing. General old marks and scratches to marble and timber throughout. Lovely rich patina throughout. A very rare table in terms of scale, design and medium.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The earliest record of this table is a bill from C. Dixon, 42 Gt. Marborough Street, London, sent to Henry, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne, for joinery work carried out between 1819-1821 for furniture in the Sculpture Gallery at Lansdowne House: 'A mahogany table frame three times varnished and partly gilt, £15'. This formed part of the work undertaken by Sir Robert Smirke, who had been commissioned by Lord Lansdowne to remodel the Library/Sculpture Gallery at Lansdowne House as a Picture Gallery. Lord Lansdowne was unhappy with the gilding of the table and Smirke wrote to him on 6 August 1821, 'I was unaware that the gilding of the large table was not done to my direction' (Lansdowne Papers, Bowood, Wiltshire). The table is next recorded in the Inventory of Lansdowne House taken in 1865. It was standing in the Picture Gallery which by this time had become the Ballroom: 'A side table on richly carved supports with marble 3in. thick, 16ft. long.' It was probably removed shortly thereafter to Bowood to allow for the refurbishment to be carried out by Wyatt at Lansdowne House. The table was subsequently sold Sotheby's, 26 March 1920, lot 134, from which it was acquired by M. Harris & Sons on behalf of Lord Leverhulme. The inventories indicate that it was then separated from its top (which was later sold) and the table given to the Hon. William Hulme Lever, later 2nd Viscount Leverhulme. The table was illustrated in the Sotheby's catalogue where it appears with five supports to either side and at a length of 16ft., and must shortly afterwards have been truncated to its present length of 13ft. with four supports to either side, to fit the then newly refurbished Dining Room at Thornton Manor. This explains the cuts to the frieze and stretchers and the need to dispose of the old marble.

Although the table is recorded as having been in the Sculpture Gallery at Lansdowne House, it cannot have been commissioned for this site. Lansdowne House was begun for Lord Bute apparently by Matthew Brettingham, although Adam appears to have taken over charge. Bute, however, was forced to sell before its completion, and the incomplete house was bought by the 2nd Earl of Shelburne in 1765. Work continued under Adam, whose plan shows a large oblong room between two rotundas marked as the Music Room. From the end of 1760s, and under the influence of the Scottish painter and antiquarian, Gavin Hamilton, Lord Shelburne decided to amass a sculpture collection to be housed in this room. Yet, by 1773, he appears to have abondoned the idea and decided on extending his library in this space, and, having dispensed with Adam's designs, employed Joseph Bonomi to continue the work. The room remained imcomplete until it was finished by Sir Robert Smirke in 1819 (cf. Christopher Simon Sykes, Private Palaces - Life in the Great London Houses, 1985, p.203).

This fine table is constructed from close-grained mahogany of the second quarter of the 18th century, as its scroll supports are characteristic of its period. At the joint in the frieze above the inner left console there is a leaf carving on the egg-and-dart moulding indicating that this was formerly at the corner of a table. It would appear therefore that the present long table was constructed in the early 19th Century from two 18th Century tables. The presence of a fifth pair of supports, as photographed in 1920, suggest that there may even have been three tables. Alternatively two additional supports may have been created. The only known comparable piece is a centre table in the collection of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, in the Sculpture Gallery at Chatsworth and formerly in the collection of John 2nd Earl Tylney of Castlemaine, Wanstead House, Essex and by descent until sold in the sale of the contents, George Robbins, 10th June - 23 July 1822 , lot 26 (illustrated The Duchess of Devonshire, Chatsworth: The home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, 1992, p.29).