A PAIR OF GEORGE II GILTWOOD SIDE TABLES MID-18TH CENTURY,...
Each rectangular frieze with canted front corners and carved in relief with a Greek key pattern, beneath an overhanging egg-and-dart border and a thin molding of ribbon-and-rosette, with canted front legs, and set sideways at the back, rectangular in section and formed as convolute scrolls, carved with acanthus decoration to the shoulders, knees, and feet; the lower sections with a coin pattern and the sides with fish-scale ornament; between the legs at the front and sides are later added swirling acanthus leaves and oak leaf swags, joined at the center front by a large scallop shell also of a later date; the tops are surmounted by later yellow marble slabs of conforming shape; the frames re-gilt
325⁄8 in. (83 cm.) high, 503⁄8 in. (128 cm.) wide, 243⁄4 in. (63 cm.) deep (overall)
Provenance
Acquired from Partridge, Ltd., in 1982.
Literature
A. Seldon and D. Collings, The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador's Residence in Washington, Flammarion, 2014 (illustrated).
F.S. Sellers, "Washington's Downton Abbey: Who Lives in a House Like This?" The Independent, 8 May 2014 (illustrated).
P. Lewis, "Our Place in Washington: The Inside Story of the British Embassy." The Guardian, 14 May 2014 (illustrated).
Lot Essay
This grand pair of side tables was acquired in 1982 for loan to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. The British ambassador's residence at 3100 Massachusetts Ave NW is undeniably one the most storied diplomatic addresses. An architectural gem, the building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) and was intended to resemble a stately English country house. It opened in 1930, and remains Lutyens's only major built work in the United States.
In 1982, Lady Mary Henderson, wife of then ambassador to the United States Sir Nicholas Henderson (1919-2009), undertook an extensive renovation of the British Embassy's interiors. Utilizing all British interior designers and suppliers, the goal was to showcase British craftsmanship through the ages. Indeed, the present George II tables are in the manner of 18th century British architect-designer William Kent (c. 1685-1748) were situated a grand corridor leading into the ballroom, where they have born witness to numerous diplomatic and cultural events, and have been photographed extensively over the years. The yellow marble tops, which are not original to the tables, were most likely selected specifically to match the scagliola columns in the embassy, which are original to Lutyens's design.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Each rectangular frieze with canted front corners and carved in relief with a Greek key pattern, beneath an overhanging egg-and-dart border and a thin molding of ribbon-and-rosette, with canted front legs, and set sideways at the back, rectangular in section and formed as convolute scrolls, carved with acanthus decoration to the shoulders, knees, and feet; the lower sections with a coin pattern and the sides with fish-scale ornament; between the legs at the front and sides are later added swirling acanthus leaves and oak leaf swags, joined at the center front by a large scallop shell also of a later date; the tops are surmounted by later yellow marble slabs of conforming shape; the frames re-gilt
325⁄8 in. (83 cm.) high, 503⁄8 in. (128 cm.) wide, 243⁄4 in. (63 cm.) deep (overall)
Provenance
Acquired from Partridge, Ltd., in 1982.
Literature
A. Seldon and D. Collings, The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador's Residence in Washington, Flammarion, 2014 (illustrated).
F.S. Sellers, "Washington's Downton Abbey: Who Lives in a House Like This?" The Independent, 8 May 2014 (illustrated).
P. Lewis, "Our Place in Washington: The Inside Story of the British Embassy." The Guardian, 14 May 2014 (illustrated).
Lot Essay
This grand pair of side tables was acquired in 1982 for loan to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. The British ambassador's residence at 3100 Massachusetts Ave NW is undeniably one the most storied diplomatic addresses. An architectural gem, the building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) and was intended to resemble a stately English country house. It opened in 1930, and remains Lutyens's only major built work in the United States.
In 1982, Lady Mary Henderson, wife of then ambassador to the United States Sir Nicholas Henderson (1919-2009), undertook an extensive renovation of the British Embassy's interiors. Utilizing all British interior designers and suppliers, the goal was to showcase British craftsmanship through the ages. Indeed, the present George II tables are in the manner of 18th century British architect-designer William Kent (c. 1685-1748) were situated a grand corridor leading into the ballroom, where they have born witness to numerous diplomatic and cultural events, and have been photographed extensively over the years. The yellow marble tops, which are not original to the tables, were most likely selected specifically to match the scagliola columns in the embassy, which are original to Lutyens's design.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
