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Lot Essay
Designed in the French 'pittoresque' style first introduced by Thomas Chippendale (d. 1779), this elegant serpentine commode epitomises the integration of English and French forms in early George III cabinet-making.
John Cobb (d. 1778), 'one of the proudest men in England' who strutted 'through his workshops giving orders to his men in full dress of the most superb and costly kind' is first recorded in the London Directory in 1750. Entering into partnership with William Vile in 1751, he became a close neighbour of Chippendale's in St. Martin's Lane, and it is interesting to note that this commode follows Chippendale's 1753 pattern for a 'French Commode table' issued in The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director of 1754, pl. LXVI. Following their appointment as cabinet-makers to George III in 1761, Messrs. Vile and Cobb became the principal suppliers of furniture to Queen Charlotte's Buckingham House, now Palace.
Recent scholarship has shown that this commode, with its Roman-acanthus serpentined 'truss' pilasters, characteristic lacquered-brass metalwork, ‘pelta’-form sides and richly carved foliate drawer-apron belongs to a distinctive group dating from the late 1760s that can be confidently attributed to Cobb (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp. 43-53). This group is anchored by the celebrated, but simpler Alscot Park commode, which was supplied by Cobb to James West in 1766 and invoiced as an 'extra fine wood commode chest of drawers with large handsome wrought furniture, good brass locks, etc. £16' (ibid., p. 51, no. 35; H. Honour, Cabinet-Makers and Furniture Designers, London, 1969, p. 112). More elaborate than the Alscot example, which has a plain cockbeaded serpentine apron and uncarved angles, this commode reflects the extraordinary integration of cabinet-making and sculptural carving achieved in Cobb's workshop around the time of Vile's retirement in 1765.
In fact, this is precisely what comprehensively distinguishes the very finest English commodes in the French taste from their Continental prototypes. The elaborate sculptural enrichments on this commode, far more readily translated from published patterns as ormolu mounts applied onto the carcase, are instead here carved from solid mahogany. Just as Cobb was influenced in the design of the commode from Chippendale's Director, he too subscribed to Chippendale's assertion that the sculptural elements 'could be carv'd or executed in brass'.
RELATED COMMODES BY JOHN COBB
The Weinstock commode, veneered in beautifully figured mahogany and ormolu-mounted in the French manner with pierced rococo handle backplates, belongs to a distinct group executed in Cobb's workshop.
These comprise:-
1. An identical commode, probably the pair to the Weinstock commode and displaying veneers to some of the drawers almost certainly cut from the same piece of mahogany, with quarter-veneered top and with the same handles to front and sides, was sold anonymously, Sotheby’s, New York, 25 April 1981, lot 154.
2. A further commode, probably originally supplied to the 2nd Earl of Coventry for Croome Court, Worcestershire, which displays the same handle pattern (although with the backplates rotated) but has additional carving to the edge of the top and drawer dividers, sold by the Earl of Craven from Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire, Sotheby's London, 8 October 1965, lot 139.
3. An almost identical commode of the same dimensions, although with different metalwork, sold by Mrs. Venetia Gairdner from Hingaston House, Somerset, Lawrence's Crewkerne, 19 February 1981, lot 215.
4. A further almost identical commode with metalwork akin to the above, sold anonymously, Christie’s, New York, 19 April 2001, lot 148 ($446,000 including premium).
5. Another with carved inwardly scrolled feet and carved edge to the top, sold by Earl Howe from Penn House, Buckinghamshire and now in the Untermyer Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (64.101.1142 - Y. Hackenbroch, English Furniture in the Irwin Untermyer Collection, London, 1958, fig. 322).
6. Another, displaying the same patterned mounts and carved apron but with ormolu-enriched 'herm' trusses of nymphs and satyr-hoofed feet (akin to those adorning lot 94 in the Weinstock Collection) from the H. Percy Dean Collection is illustrated in P. Macquoid, A History of English Furniture, The Age of Mahogany, London, 1908, col. pl. X. This was sold by Sir Archibald Edmonstone, Bt., Christie's London, 27 March 1958, lot 82.
7. A final commode similar to the latter, recorded in the collection of Sir John Ward, which was exhibited at Donnington Priory, Berkshire, in 1982.
Interestingly, the pelta-shaped sides and refined drawer construction with unusual concave quarter-fillets also featured on the pair of lacquer-veneered commodes with satyr-hoofed feet, attributed to Cobb, supplied to St. Giles's House, Dorset and sold by the Earl of Shaftesbury, Christie's London, 11 November 1999, lot 100.
The pervasive influence of Thomas Chippendale can clearly be seen in the distinctive acanthus-carved trusses, which closely relate to those on the pair of commodes supplied by Thomas Chippendale for Goldsborough Hall, Yorkshire circa 1770 (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, fig. 226). It is interesting to note, in addition, that this model of handle – taken from a design featured in a mid-18th century metalworker's pattern book illustrated in An Eighteenth Century English Brass Hardware Catalogue – was chosen by Chippendale for the magnificent library table he supplied in 1759 to William Crichton-Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries (1699-1768) for Dumfries House, Ayrshire. Whilst the handle backplates of the Weinstock commode currently follow the (vertical) direction of the published design, there are signs that at some point they have been rotated and were positioned horizontally, like those on the Dumfries library table.
John Cobb (d. 1778), 'one of the proudest men in England' who strutted 'through his workshops giving orders to his men in full dress of the most superb and costly kind' is first recorded in the London Directory in 1750. Entering into partnership with William Vile in 1751, he became a close neighbour of Chippendale's in St. Martin's Lane, and it is interesting to note that this commode follows Chippendale's 1753 pattern for a 'French Commode table' issued in The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director of 1754, pl. LXVI. Following their appointment as cabinet-makers to George III in 1761, Messrs. Vile and Cobb became the principal suppliers of furniture to Queen Charlotte's Buckingham House, now Palace.
Recent scholarship has shown that this commode, with its Roman-acanthus serpentined 'truss' pilasters, characteristic lacquered-brass metalwork, ‘pelta’-form sides and richly carved foliate drawer-apron belongs to a distinctive group dating from the late 1760s that can be confidently attributed to Cobb (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp. 43-53). This group is anchored by the celebrated, but simpler Alscot Park commode, which was supplied by Cobb to James West in 1766 and invoiced as an 'extra fine wood commode chest of drawers with large handsome wrought furniture, good brass locks, etc. £16' (ibid., p. 51, no. 35; H. Honour, Cabinet-Makers and Furniture Designers, London, 1969, p. 112). More elaborate than the Alscot example, which has a plain cockbeaded serpentine apron and uncarved angles, this commode reflects the extraordinary integration of cabinet-making and sculptural carving achieved in Cobb's workshop around the time of Vile's retirement in 1765.
In fact, this is precisely what comprehensively distinguishes the very finest English commodes in the French taste from their Continental prototypes. The elaborate sculptural enrichments on this commode, far more readily translated from published patterns as ormolu mounts applied onto the carcase, are instead here carved from solid mahogany. Just as Cobb was influenced in the design of the commode from Chippendale's Director, he too subscribed to Chippendale's assertion that the sculptural elements 'could be carv'd or executed in brass'.
RELATED COMMODES BY JOHN COBB
The Weinstock commode, veneered in beautifully figured mahogany and ormolu-mounted in the French manner with pierced rococo handle backplates, belongs to a distinct group executed in Cobb's workshop.
These comprise:-
1. An identical commode, probably the pair to the Weinstock commode and displaying veneers to some of the drawers almost certainly cut from the same piece of mahogany, with quarter-veneered top and with the same handles to front and sides, was sold anonymously, Sotheby’s, New York, 25 April 1981, lot 154.
2. A further commode, probably originally supplied to the 2nd Earl of Coventry for Croome Court, Worcestershire, which displays the same handle pattern (although with the backplates rotated) but has additional carving to the edge of the top and drawer dividers, sold by the Earl of Craven from Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire, Sotheby's London, 8 October 1965, lot 139.
3. An almost identical commode of the same dimensions, although with different metalwork, sold by Mrs. Venetia Gairdner from Hingaston House, Somerset, Lawrence's Crewkerne, 19 February 1981, lot 215.
4. A further almost identical commode with metalwork akin to the above, sold anonymously, Christie’s, New York, 19 April 2001, lot 148 ($446,000 including premium).
5. Another with carved inwardly scrolled feet and carved edge to the top, sold by Earl Howe from Penn House, Buckinghamshire and now in the Untermyer Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (64.101.1142 - Y. Hackenbroch, English Furniture in the Irwin Untermyer Collection, London, 1958, fig. 322).
6. Another, displaying the same patterned mounts and carved apron but with ormolu-enriched 'herm' trusses of nymphs and satyr-hoofed feet (akin to those adorning lot 94 in the Weinstock Collection) from the H. Percy Dean Collection is illustrated in P. Macquoid, A History of English Furniture, The Age of Mahogany, London, 1908, col. pl. X. This was sold by Sir Archibald Edmonstone, Bt., Christie's London, 27 March 1958, lot 82.
7. A final commode similar to the latter, recorded in the collection of Sir John Ward, which was exhibited at Donnington Priory, Berkshire, in 1982.
Interestingly, the pelta-shaped sides and refined drawer construction with unusual concave quarter-fillets also featured on the pair of lacquer-veneered commodes with satyr-hoofed feet, attributed to Cobb, supplied to St. Giles's House, Dorset and sold by the Earl of Shaftesbury, Christie's London, 11 November 1999, lot 100.
The pervasive influence of Thomas Chippendale can clearly be seen in the distinctive acanthus-carved trusses, which closely relate to those on the pair of commodes supplied by Thomas Chippendale for Goldsborough Hall, Yorkshire circa 1770 (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, fig. 226). It is interesting to note, in addition, that this model of handle – taken from a design featured in a mid-18th century metalworker's pattern book illustrated in An Eighteenth Century English Brass Hardware Catalogue – was chosen by Chippendale for the magnificent library table he supplied in 1759 to William Crichton-Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries (1699-1768) for Dumfries House, Ayrshire. Whilst the handle backplates of the Weinstock commode currently follow the (vertical) direction of the published design, there are signs that at some point they have been rotated and were positioned horizontally, like those on the Dumfries library table.