George III Marquetry Demi Lune Side Table in the manner of Ince & Mayhew

George III Marquetry Demi Lune Side Table in the manner of Ince & Mayhew.

ENGLAND, CIRCA 1775.

Provenance:

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 1830-7 as the wife of King William IV.

Gifted to John Merewether, Dean of Hereford, Deputy Clerk of The Closet To William IV and Chaplain to Queen Adelaide.

The Rev. T.J. Moore.

Collection of Robert Eastwood Esq, almost certainly of Eastwood Old Hall, Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Private Collection.

Exhibited at the Bradford Exhibition, The Cartwright Hall, 1904, cat. no. 71.

Veneered in satinwood with tulipwood, hare and kingwood inlay incorporating a serpentine fan, unusual wavy edge sections divided by husk and bellflower motifs, the frieze with crossbanding and central oval geometric inlay and stylised floral motifs above triglyph capping, raised on square tapered inlaid legs on block feet. With two old auction labels to the underside.

This table was given to The Reverend John Mereweather (1797-1850), Dean of Hereford, by Queen Adelaide (1792-1849), wife of King William IV (reigned 26 June 1830 to 20 June 1837). John Merewether was Dean of Hereford from 1832. In 1824 he was appointed chaplain to the Duchess of Clarence (later Queen Adelaide). In 1833 William IV appointed him one of the deputy clerks of the closet. Merewether was also an antiquarian and became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1836, followed by a fellowship of the Royal Society in 1838. He wrote 'A statement of the condition and circumstances of the cathedral church of Hereford', published in 1842.

Exhibit number 71 in the catalogue for The Bradford Exhibition of 1904, held at The Cartwright Memorial Hall to celebrate its opening that year, is described as: "Sheraton, satinwood, finely inlaid with tulip, hare and other coloured woods. Circa 1796. — Lent by Robert Eastwood, Esq."

The unusual feature of the curving lines in the fan paterae on this table are mirrored in a piece attributed to William Moore (fl. 1768-1814) (see Bonhams Fine Decorative Arts, 1200-1900, 18 December 2020, lot 86). Moore went to London in the late 1760s or early 1770s where he worked for Ince and Mayhew for several years. He was particularly known for his inlay work and for pier tables. Two examples of his advertisements read:

Faulkner’s Dublin Journal, 6-9 April 1782:
‘To the Nobility and Gentry – The Inlaid Warehouse Room No. 22 Abbey-street (next door to Mr. Murphy’s Perfume house) William Moore most respectfully acknowledges the encouragement he has received, begs leave to inform those that may want inlaid work, that by his close attention to the business and instruction to his men, he has brought the manufacture of such perfection to be able to sell for almost one half his original prices; as the greatest demand is for pier Tables, he has just finished in the newest taste a great variety of patterns, sizes and prices, from three guineas to twenty guineas; card tables of a new construction (both ornamental and plain) there are also small pier tables with every article in the inlaid way’.

Dublin Evening Post, 16 April, 6 June, 6-11 July 1782:
'The Inlaid Cabinet Wareroom William Moore most respectfully acknowledges the encouragement he has received, begs leave to inform those who may want his inlaid work, that by his close attention to business and instruction to his men, he has brought the manufacture to perfection, to be able to sell at almost one half his original prices; as the greatest demand is for pier-tables, he has just finished in the newest taste a great variety of patterns, sizes and prices, from three guineas to twenty guineas; Card tables of a new construction (both ornamented and plain) which appear like small Pier Tables, with every article in the inlaid way, executed on shortest notice, and hopes from his long experience at Messrs. Mayhew and Ince, London, his remarkable fine coloured woods, and elegant finished work, to meet the approbation of all who shall please to honour him with their commands’.

Dimensions

This object includes complimentary, Insured Shipping / Delivery within the UK

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Stock number