ATTRIBUTED TO GILLOWS, CIRCA 1800

THE ATTRIBUTION OF THIS BOOKCASE TO GILLOWS OF LANCASTER DERIVES IN PART FROM A DRAWING IN THE FIRM'S ARCHIVES (REPRODUCED IN L. BOYNTON, GILLOW FURNITURE DESIGNS 1760-1800, THE BLOOMFIELD PRESS, 1995, FIG. 168). THE DESIGN SHOWS A CLOSELY RELATED BOOKCASE WITH ADDITIONAL BREAKFRONT ENDS, BUT DISPLAYING A SIMILAR ARCHED CENTRAL CORNICE. ANOTHER GILLOW PATTERN FOR A HANGING CABINET DATED 1759 (REPRODUCED IN BOYNTON, FIG.159) REFERS TO THIS TYPE OF CORNICE AS A 'TUSCAN CORNICE'. THE USE OF LOOPED GRECIAN FRETS INLAID INTO THE FLAME MAHOGANY PANELS CORRESPONDS TO THE FREQUENT USE OF REEDED RIBBONS OF THIS PATTERN, AS CAN BE SEEN IN MANY OF THE PIECES SUPPLIED BY GILLOWS FOR TATTON PARK, CHESHIRE, ILLUSTRATED IN N. GOODISON AND J. HARDY, 'GILLOWS AT TATTON PARK', FURNITURE HISTORY, 1970, PLATES 10A TO 13A.