Live Auction 7400Important English Furniture
A GEORGE III GILTWOOD OVERMANTEL MIRROR

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A GEORGE III GILTWOOD OVERMANTEL MIRROR
IN THE STYLE OF MATTHIAS LOCK, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY
The rectangular plate in a rockwork border headed by S-scrolls, the cresting with a central cartouche with confronted C-scrolls admist foliage on a trellis background and with C-scrolls at each corner, the sides with caryatids, on a trellis background with fruit and foliage, originally with eight border plates, regilt, later backboard, the plate 19th century, losses to cresting
107½ x 69¾ in. (273 x 177 cm.)

Henry Pelham-Clinton (1720-1794), 2nd Duke of Newcastle & 9th Earl of Lincoln, Clumber, Nottinghamshire and by descent at Clumber until sold by
Henry, 16th Earl of Lincoln (1907-1988), Christie's, London, 9 June 1937, lot 222.
With Asprey's, London, 1994.
With Jonathan Harris.

Specialist note

This flowered and trellised mirror is serpentined in the George II French picturesque manner. Its pattern, with arched temple pediment and busts of Arcadian nymphs on rustic truss-scrolled pillars, relates to designs for overmantel frames by the celebrated carver and pattern-book author Matthias Lock (d. 1765). Lock, in partnership with the silver engraver Henry Copland (d. 1753) published his designs in their New Book of Ornaments, 1752, in which plates 23 and 28, featuring caraytids and rockwork decorated with foliate festoons are similar to the current lot's design. The frame's whimsical trellis relates to Lock's designs featuring Chinese-railed ornament (pls. 6 and 27).
Two related George III giltwood overmantels, in the style of Matthias Lock were sold by Mr and Mrs Donald Davis, Charleville, Co. Wicklow, Christie's house sale, 23-24 January 1978, lot 99 (£6,000). These mirrors were adorned with closely styled caryatids. Interestingly these mirrors had border plates, similar to those originally on the present mirror.