A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD, ROSEWOOD AND MARQUETRY COMMODES

Mayhew and Ince supplied a pair of related commodes, each inlaid with a Roman urn, to the 6th Earl of Coventry for Croome Court, Worcestershire in 1765 (A. Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, p. 66, fig. 119 and G. Beard, 'Decorators and Furniture Makers at Croome Court, Furniture History, 1993, p. 99). Designed for a bedroom apartment, each was fitted with a brushing-slide above a pair of doors, one enclosing drawers and the other sliding shelves, and featured striking contrasting veneers. The box-like form, use of marble for the tops and engraved ribbon-tied marquetry are all features employed by Mayhew and Ince and link the present commodes to their work. A pair of commodes attributed to the firm with closely related marquetry was sold from Tythrop Park, Christie's, London, 27 April 1995, lot 36. Related ribbon-tied medallions feature on the pair of marquetry commodes supplied to the 2nd Viscount Palmerston for Broadlands, Hampshire, circa 1788 (H. Roberts, 'Towards an English Louis Seize, Furniture at Broadlands, Hampshire - II', Country Life, 5 February 1981, p. 347, fig. 3).