A PAIR OF REGENCY BLACK-PAINTED AND PARCEL-GILT SIDE CHAIRS

William Marsh and Thomas Tatham established a highly successful firm of cabinet-makers counting the Prince of Wales amongst their patrons and for whom they supplied significant amounts of furniture, both for Carlton House, London, and the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, under the direction of Henry Holland. They were known for producing furniture in the favoured spare classical fashion of the Regency to designs reflecting the drawings of antique ornament published by Tatham's brother in 1799 and would certainly have been influenced by the published designs of Thomas Hope (d. 1831). This chair corresponds to a design illustrated in Hope's, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1807, pl. XXVI, number 6, and also in pl. V, in situ in a room displaying Greek vases at Hope's Duchess Street 'Museum'.

An identical chair features in a 1931 photograph in the Back Drawing Room at 11 Montague Place, the London residence of playwright Edward Knoblock (d.1945), Frances Collard, Regency Furniture, Woodbridge, 1958, p.266, and illustrated again p. 269. Knoblock was amongst the first to recognise the long overlooked merits of Regency furniture and with others including the 7th Duke of Wellington and Professor Sir Albert Richardson, who shared a passion for Regency design, was an early champion of the Regency revival. Collard also notes that all three were 'owners of Hope pieces from The Deepdene' (Op. cit., p. 26).

Another chair, possibly from the same set was sold from Richardson's collection, Christie's, London, 18/19 September 2013, lot 16 (£4,375 including premium).