A GEORGE II CHINESE SOAPSTONE-MOUNTED, EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD AND GILTWOOD CABINET-ON-STAND SECOND
Details
The cabinet mounted with Chinese soapstone and lacquered camphor wood panels depicting figures in landscapes, archaic objects, animals and mythical beast, with brass carrying handles to the sides, the cupboard doors opening to reveal five short and two long drawers with conforming decoration, on a contemporary giltwood stand, the apron carved with scrolling acanthus leaves and a central scallop shell, on acanthus carved cabriole legs with acanthus carved pad feet 58.2/8 in. (47.7 cm.) high; 421⁄2 in. (108 cm.) wide; 221⁄2 in. (57.1 cm.) wide
Provenance
The Viscount Irwin, almost certainly at Temple Newsam House, Yorkshire; By descent to the present owner.
Lot Essay
This remarkable soapstone, rosewood and giltwood cabinet-on-stand perfectly reflects the profound influence of the East India Company trade on English cabinet-makers and patrons throughout the eighteenth century. Combining Chinese soapstone relief carvings and lacquer panels with Western cabinet-making traditions, it encapsulates the rich cultural and artistic exchange that characterised the period. Of particular significance is the apparent distinction between the Chinese panels and the cabinet carcass itself. While the finely carved panels were almost certainly produced in China, the cabinet and its drawers display characteristics associated with English manufacture. This suggests either that the panels were specifically carved in China for export and insertion into a cabinet made in England, or that they were originally incorporated into a larger Chinese work, possibly a screen, before being dismantled and adapted. In this regard, the panels bear comparison with those of a magnificent Imperial screen sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 7 July 2003, lot 592, and it is tempting to speculate that they may once have formed part of a related decorative scheme. The closest parallels, however, are found among a small and highly distinctive group of English cabinets mounted with Chinese soapstone panels, of which the present example may be among the earliest known survivors. Comparable examples include a pair of cabinets, one dating from circa 1750 and the other circa 1800, sold Christie's, London, 8 July 2021, lot 13; a cabinet dating to circa 1765, sold Sotheby's, Paris, 17 November 2021, lot 36; and a further pair of cabinets, also dating to circa 1765, sold Sotheby's, New York, 1 February 2013, lot 21.
Details
The cabinet mounted with Chinese soapstone and lacquered camphor wood panels depicting figures in landscapes, archaic objects, animals and mythical beast, with brass carrying handles to the sides, the cupboard doors opening to reveal five short and two long drawers with conforming decoration, on a contemporary giltwood stand, the apron carved with scrolling acanthus leaves and a central scallop shell, on acanthus carved cabriole legs with acanthus carved pad feet 58.2/8 in. (47.7 cm.) high; 421⁄2 in. (108 cm.) wide; 221⁄2 in. (57.1 cm.) wide
Provenance
The Viscount Irwin, almost certainly at Temple Newsam House, Yorkshire; By descent to the present owner.
Lot Essay
This remarkable soapstone, rosewood and giltwood cabinet-on-stand perfectly reflects the profound influence of the East India Company trade on English cabinet-makers and patrons throughout the eighteenth century. Combining Chinese soapstone relief carvings and lacquer panels with Western cabinet-making traditions, it encapsulates the rich cultural and artistic exchange that characterised the period. Of particular significance is the apparent distinction between the Chinese panels and the cabinet carcass itself. While the finely carved panels were almost certainly produced in China, the cabinet and its drawers display characteristics associated with English manufacture. This suggests either that the panels were specifically carved in China for export and insertion into a cabinet made in England, or that they were originally incorporated into a larger Chinese work, possibly a screen, before being dismantled and adapted. In this regard, the panels bear comparison with those of a magnificent Imperial screen sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 7 July 2003, lot 592, and it is tempting to speculate that they may once have formed part of a related decorative scheme. The closest parallels, however, are found among a small and highly distinctive group of English cabinets mounted with Chinese soapstone panels, of which the present example may be among the earliest known survivors. Comparable examples include a pair of cabinets, one dating from circa 1750 and the other circa 1800, sold Christie's, London, 8 July 2021, lot 13; a cabinet dating to circa 1765, sold Sotheby's, Paris, 17 November 2021, lot 36; and a further pair of cabinets, also dating to circa 1765, sold Sotheby's, New York, 1 February 2013, lot 21.
