Lot 48
  • 48

A George III mahogany metamorphic reading table in the manner of Mayhew and Ince circa 1760

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description

  • mahogany
  • height 36 1/2 in.; width 25 1/4 in.; depth 18 in.
  • 92.7 cm; 64.1 cm; 45.7 cm
the leather lined top on a wooden ratchet support and raised on another brass ratchet support.

Provenance

French & Company, New York
Christie's, New York, November 24, 1998, lot 54

Condition

Overall good condition; leather lining replaced, front right corner with a patch to wood support at join with brass pull, with a slightly glossy surface, and with nicks and wear to extremities.
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.

Catalogue Note

This reading table belongs to a group of similarly conceived reading tables attributed to the firm of Mayhew and Ince.  One table, in particular, was almost certainly commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Kerry (1740-1818) whose crest is mounted on the keyhole latch to the drawer front.  This table was sold at Christie’s, London, July 9, 1992, lot 136.  Another reading table from the same aforementioned sale (lot 142) from the collections of Geoffrey Blackwell, Percival Griffiths and Sydney Greville is identical in its overall form.  The design of these tables together with the present table is based on a design illustrated in Mayhew and Ince’s Universal System of Household Furniture, published between 1759-63, pl. XXIV. (fig. 1)  It is interesting to note that Kerry was one of Mayhew and Ince’s most significant partons and it is therefore possible that all three of these tables were made by this same firm.