A REGENCY ANTIQUARIAN ORMOLU-MOUNTED CARVED EBONY SIDE CABINET

THIS IMPRESSIVE CABINET REFLECTS THE ANTIQUARIAN TASTE PREVALENT IN ENGLAND IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THE CABINET-MAKER WAS OBVIOUSLY INVENTIVE AND USED QUALITY MOUNTS IN HIS NEW CREATION. ROBERT HUME AND EDWARD HOLMES BALDOCK ARE TWO POSSIBLY MAKERS, BOTH KNOWN FOR RE-FASHIONING EARLIER ELEMENTS INTO REGENCY CABINETS. THE BALDOCK ATTRIBUTION IS COMPELLING, AS HE WAS KNOWN TO SPECIALIZE IN 17TH CENTURY EBONY PANELS, ALTHOUGH HE ALSO RE-USED OTHER MATERIALS SUCH AS SèVRES PLAQUES, BOULLE MARQUETRY, AND PIETRE DURE INTO HIS WORKS (SEE G. DE BELLAIGUE, 'EDWARD HOLMES BALDOCK,' CONNOISSEUR, SEPTEMBER 1975, PP. 18-25). A SIMILARLY FASHIONED CABINET ATTRIBUTED TO BALDOCK, NOW AT CHARLECOTE PARK, WARWICKSHIRE, WAS FORMERLY IN THE CELEBRATED COLLECTION OF WILLIAM BECKFORD (D. E. OSTERGARD, ED., WILLIAM BECKFORD: 1760-1844: AN EYE FOR THE MAGNIFICENT, NEW HAVEN AND LONDON, 2001, CAT. NO. 87, P. 361) ANOTHER MAKER, ROBERT HUME, WAS KNOWN FOR HIS HIGH-QUALITY ORMOLU MOUNTS, SUCH AS APPEAR ON THE CELEBRATED CABINET MOUNTED WITH 17TH CENTURY PIETRA DURE PANELS POSSIBLY SUPPLIED TO THE COLLECTOR GEORGE WATSON TAYLOR, AND LATER AT HAMILTON PALACE (SOLD, THE PROPERTY OF MR. S. JON GERSTENFELD, CHRISTIE'S, LONDON, 6 JULY 2000, LOT 200).
PLEASE SEE THE CATALOGUE NOTE FOR LOT 321 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SCHOLARS JOHN AND HELENA HAYWARD.