A GEORGE III MAHOGANY KEY AND COLLECTOR'S CABINET

It is recorded that John Martin (d. 1794), the son of John Martin of Overbury Court, Worcester commissioned furniture from Thomas Chippendale between 1770-76. Ledgers in the Martin family papers now deposited in the Worcester County Records Office list various payments from John Martin to Thomas Chippendale. The first of these is dated the 5th September 1773 'to Chippindale [sic] £89. 11s' (Archive: 140/349 folio-393), the second dated 9th May 1775 'to Chippindale [sic] & Co. £ 44. 00s' (Archive: 140/111 folio-402). It is probable that one of these accounts includes payment for the present cabinet and together they indicate a larger commission. Unfortunately, at the present time it does not appear that any actual bills from Chippendale survive in the Martin family papers.

A library table commissioned by John Martin (d. 1794) from Thomas Chippendale was sold by Eliot Bromley-Martin, Christie's London, 27 March, 1924 lot 81. The table was later sold, Christie's London, 19 June 1980, lot 140, and later sold from the HSBC Corporate Art Collection, Sotheby's New York, 21 October 2004, lot 34.