A GEORGE III GILTWOOD SOFA

This sofa relates closely to a drawing of an armchair by John Linnell, circa 1775, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (E. 82-1929) which shares features such as the boldly carved seatrail, square panelled cuffed legs and carved incurved arm supports with characteristic ball handholds (reproduced in H. Hayward, 'The Drawings of John Linnell in the Victoria and Albert Museum', Furniture History, fig. 16.) An armchair en suite with the sofa was offered by Christie's, London, 28 February 1985, lot 45. Another is illustrated in L. Synge, Great English Furniture, London, 1991, p. 99, fig. 111. A further pair was exhibited at the Antique Dealers' Fair and Exhibition, London, in 1955 and appears in an advertisement by Edward Nield, Lancaster in the exhibition catalogue, p. 60. A related set of chairs attributed to Linnell was sold, Christie's London, 7 July 1988, lot 141 and an almost identical sofa sold in these rooms, 27 October 2006, lot 166.