A George III brass-mounted, verre eglomisé and cast intaglio inset, satinwood, amaranth, parquetry and painted collector's cabinet-on-stand, circa 1785-90

the breakfront rectangular white marble top with pierced lacquered brass gallery, above a conforming case with overhanging molded cornice and frieze inset with a series of biscuit portrait medallions and Bacchic scenes, the sides of the frieze inlaid with amaranth fluting, over a pair of satinwood panelled doors with central mahogany diamond reserve set with central biscuit oval medallion in the manner of James Tassie depicting classically draped maidens, the angles with white-ground verre eglomisé pilasters, enclosing two rows of nine short over a deep drawer with false double-drawer front, each satinwood-veneered and mahogany-lined and with turned ivory knob pulls, on a conforming stand with frieze drawer set with a similar series of oval medallions depicting the three Graces, Cupid stringing his bow, putti in various positions, and Apollo with a lyre, the corners set with verre eglomisé paterae, on leaf tip-painted headed tapering legs inlaid with amaranth fluting, joined by a concave X-stretcher with giltwood vase finial, on brass toupie feet

Jeremy Ltd., London;
Private Collection;
Sold Christie's New York, Important English Furniture, 19th October 2000, lot 282.

An exceptionally fine cabinet in excellent conserved condition. There is a minor chip to the back left corner of the marble top. The painted laurel decoration to the top of the legs has some minor losses. With one small repaired split to one veneer of the stretcher. This piece is ready to place.
"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 present collector's cabinet, designed in the Louis XVI 'antique' manner, epitomises the Francophile taste promoted by George IV and his circle and relates to a group a cabinets likely executed by the same hand.

Until recently, the character and construction of the cabinets pointed to the work of George Simson (d.1839), a known subscriber to Thomas Sheraton's Drawing Book and Cabinet-Dictionary. However, the discovery of trade label fragments of ‘… LITTLE AND COMPANY , [INLA]YERS AND VARNISH-MAKERS ’ used as packing behind the verre eglomisé panels, indicate it could be the work of an as of yet undocumented cabinet-maker (fig. 1). The way the card label has been cleanly cut and it's well preserved state would suggest that this was done at the time of construction. Whilst there is no reference to ‘Little and Company’ in Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert seminal Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, the cabinet-maker James Little is a potential candidate. James Little was active between 1802-1839 with premises at 126 Gt Portland Street and later 47 Mortimer Street and was one of the master cabinet-makers listed in Sheraton's Cabinet-Dictionary, 1803 (G. Beard and C. Gilbert Ed., Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Furniture History Society, 1986, p. 549.). Equally, the range of skills and techniques evident in the present cabinet may well have demanded contributions from several specialist craftsmen, and the trade label's emphasis on inlaying, engraving and varnishing could point to a firm charged with handling one aspect of the cabinet, namely the verre eglomisé panels.

The design of the medallions adorning the cabinet appear to come from a variety of sources. The medallions to the drawer derive from designs by John Flaxman (1755-1826), who was employed by Josiah Wedgwood, and later went on to become one of England's finest neoclassical sculptors. Illustrated in F. Rathbone, Old Wedgwood, Buten Museum Reprint, 1968, p. 140, pl. XIII, are a series of cupids as the four seasons and bear close resemblance to the designs found on this cabinet. Flanking the medallions of the cupids are the Three Graces and Apollo, which relate to further Flaxman designs of 1775, illustrated in R. Reilly, Wedgwood, London, 1989, vol. I, p. 591, fig. 858.

A similar example to the present cabinet, but lacking verre eglomisé panels and a stretcher, was sold from the collection of the late Joe Blanchard, Esq., Sotheby's London, 3 May 1996, lot 10 (£87,300). A related secrétaire is illustrated in R. Fastnedge, Sheraton Furniture, London, 1983, p.210, fig.82.