A GEORGE III MAHOGANY KNEEHOLE DRESSING-TABLE

The bureau dressing-table corresponds to a design in the first edition of Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director, published in 1754, pl.XLI and shares many similarities with Chippendale's more restrained furnishings supplied from 1759 for Dumfries House, Ayrshire.
Other closely related tables supplied by Chippendale were commissioned by Ninian Hume (d.1795) for Paxton House, Berwickshire. A fine bureau dressing-table almost certainly for the principal bedroom apartment of Paxton and probably intended as Ninian Humes's wife Penelope's dressing-table was invoiced on June 7th, 1774 as: 'A neat mahogany Buroe Table with Divisions in the upper drawer and a Slider covered with Green Cloth... 6.12.0.' (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. I, p. 274 and vol.II, p.228, pl. 415); a second more restrained example for the Buff Bedroom at Paxton corresponds closely to the table offered here (ibid. vol. II, pl. 417). The former was sold anonymously, 50 Years of Collecting: The Decorative Arts of Georgian England, Christie's, London, 14 May 2003, lot 140 (£77,675 incl' premium). Another closely comparable kneehole desk possibly by Chippendale and again with characteristic constructional features was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 22 January 2009, lot 29 (£16,250 incl' premium).