William and Mary Kingwood or ‘Princes Wood’ Oyster Table Box
Circa 1690. England
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William and Mary Kingwood or ‘Princes Wood’ Oyster Table Box, Circa 1690. England
The chest was originally designed to store tableware and was given the apt name ‘table box’.
The top opens on a hinge revealing a large space covered in silk velvet. The drawers are also lined in silk velvet. The chest is extremely rare and from the collective we have only been able to locate three examples in existence.
The attribution to the London cabinetmaker ‘Thomas Pistor’ is based on a group of pieces identified and previously with W.R. Harvey including two kingwood cabinets and a desk to which the table box offered here is clearly part of the same group. There were, in fact, two cabinetmakers called Thomas Pistor, father and son, working for a period at the same time but at different premises. One or both are known to have made furniture of quality for Levens Hall.
From the 4-18 August 1950 Country Life ran a series of articles featuring what was then the recently rebuilt Buxted Park, a house reconstructed by the architect Basil Lonides following a serious fire and in one of the illustrations a kingwood escritoire is visible. Subsequently, Christopher Gilbert commented in The ‘Dictionary of Marked London Furniture’, Leeds, 1996, p.44 that a “highly important kingwood fall-front cabinet inscribed ‘Thomas Pistor, Ludgate Hill, London’, formerly owned by the Hon. Basil Lonides, unfortunately, remains untraced. It was amongst the Buxted Park furniture at Sotheby’s, 25 September 1963, lot 168 (withdrawn)…”. The whereabouts of this escritoire remain unknown and further details of how the pieces are marked remain uncertain.
The overall profile and proportions of the Buxted escritoire conform to that of the table-box offered here and the W. R. Harvey cabinets as does the pattern of oysters visible on the frieze, and there is a strikingly similar large radiating circular pattern. It is undoubtedly the same maker responsible for the table-box offered here and for the two W.R. Harvey cabinets. There is an olive oyster example illustrated in ‘Woods In British Furniture Making 1400-1900’, by Adam Bowett, page 174, private collection.
Condition
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PREVIOUSLY SOLD
William and Mary Kingwood or ‘Princes’ wood oyster cabinet on chest
When the most expensive timber of the 17th century met Thomas Pistor. There were, in fact, two cabinet-makers called Thomas Pistor, father and son, working for a period at the same time but at different premises. One or both are known to have made furniture of quality for Levens Hall.
17th Century William and Mary Kingwood Strongbox
A 17th century William and Mary Kingwood strongbox, with gilt brass straps. This strongbox has to be one of the most charming and certainly the smallest example we have encountered, at just 17.5 cm high, 28 cm wide and 18 cm deep. A strongbox of similar merit form and style resides at Burghley House in ‘The 1st George State Room.
18th Century George III Mahogany Serpentine Chest or Commode
A fine George III mahogany serpentine commode, England, circa 1770. Attributed to Henry Hill, Marlborough. The three graduated drawers retain their original gilt brass handles over a unique carved apron and flanked by moulded angles continuing into the shaped cabriole feet.
George I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy, Circa 1720
George I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy Circa 1720. England SOLD Follow UsGeorge I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy, Circa 1720. England The feather and cross banded top is quarter veneered with burr walnut and edged with a...
18th-Century George III fitted miniature burr yew and satinwood chest attributed to Ince and Mayhew
A perfectly proportioned miniature chest attributed to Ince and Mayhew. The miniature is of a style that thrived in the latter part of the 18th century, proving popular with nobility and the middle classes. I am not aware of another miniature chest thought to be by eminent makers.
George III Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Georgian perfection, 18th century George III mahogany serpentine chest of drawers with brushing slide, fabulous reeded columns and retaining superb original age patinated surface. Choice cuts of flame mahogany veneer sit below the brushing-slide to the four oak lined cock-beaded graduating drawers, which are fitted with their original gilt swan-neck handles, skeleton escutcheons and locks.
William and Mary Kingwood or ‘Princes’ wood oyster cabinet on chest
When the most expensive timber of the 17th century met Thomas Pistor. There were, in fact, two cabinet-makers called Thomas Pistor, father and son, working for a period at the same time but at different premises. One or both are known to have made furniture of quality for Levens Hall.
17th Century William and Mary Kingwood Strongbox
A 17th century William and Mary Kingwood strongbox, with gilt brass straps. This strongbox has to be one of the most charming and certainly the smallest example we have encountered, at just 17.5 cm high, 28 cm wide and 18 cm deep. A strongbox of similar merit form and style resides at Burghley House in ‘The 1st George State Room.
18th Century George III Mahogany Serpentine Chest or Commode
A fine George III mahogany serpentine commode, England, circa 1770. Attributed to Henry Hill, Marlborough. The three graduated drawers retain their original gilt brass handles over a unique carved apron and flanked by moulded angles continuing into the shaped cabriole feet.
George I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy, Circa 1720
George I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy Circa 1720. England SOLD Follow UsGeorge I Burr and Highly Figured Walnut Lowboy, Circa 1720. England The feather and cross banded top is quarter veneered with burr walnut and edged with a...
18th-Century George III fitted miniature burr yew and satinwood chest attributed to Ince and Mayhew
A perfectly proportioned miniature chest attributed to Ince and Mayhew. The miniature is of a style that thrived in the latter part of the 18th century, proving popular with nobility and the middle classes. I am not aware of another miniature chest thought to be by eminent makers.
George III Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Georgian perfection, 18th century George III mahogany serpentine chest of drawers with brushing slide, fabulous reeded columns and retaining superb original age patinated surface. Choice cuts of flame mahogany veneer sit below the brushing-slide to the four oak lined cock-beaded graduating drawers, which are fitted with their original gilt swan-neck handles, skeleton escutcheons and locks.
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