Thomas Jeckyll

Private Collection, New York

The Peacock Room, exh. cat., Messrs Obach's Galleries, London, 1904, n.p.
Charlotte Gere, Nineteenth-Century Design:  From Pugin to Mackintosh, London, 1993, p. 160
Linda Merrill, The Peacock Room:  A Cultural Biography, Washington, D.C. and New Haven, 1998, pp. 188, 190, 202-203, 254-255, 305 and 319
Susan Weber Soros and Catherine Arbuthnott, Thomas Jeckyll:  Architect and Designer, 1827-1881, New Haven, 2003, pp. 14, 48, 192, 195-197, 218, 220 and 229-230

Overall in very good restored condition. The andirons were recently professionally conserved by Daniel Horwitz, a professional conservator specializing in nineteenth-century metalwork. Please contact the department for a detailed conservation report prepared by this studio. The brass surfaces have been cleaned and re-lacquered. The brass surfaces throughout with abrasions marks and surface imperfections consistent with age and use, as well as a few isolated traces of surface corrosion. When these andirons were recently found, several of the large leaves decorating the lower stems were missing, as well as some of the leaf stems. These elements were recast and hand-chased from corresponding original elements on the andirons. The large sunflower heads were remarkably intact. Only one petal surrounding one of the sunflower heads was missing and rebuilt. The rear iron log holders were cleaned, and show light surface wear and corrosion consistent with age and use. These andirons are incredibly dramatic and striking when viewed in person, displaying exceptional scale, form and workmanship. They present beautifully in person, representative of their original form and finish.
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.

These andirons are one of only four known pairs to exist in brass of this iconic model designed by the architect Thomas Jeckyll.  A pair executed in iron is in the collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art. Another pair in gilt bronze were designed by Jeckyll for the famous "Peacock Room," the dining room in the London home of Frederick Richards Leyland, a wealthy ship owner from Liverpool, England, who was James McNeill Whistler's leading patron.  The latter are now re-installed in situ at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.