Lot 64Y
A late Victorian Irish sycamore, satinwood and rosewood crossbanded and harewood marquetry bookcase by Hicks of Dublin
Amended
20 November 2013, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £3,750 inc. premium
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A late Victorian Irish sycamore, satinwood and rosewood crossbanded and harewood marquetry bookcase by Hicks of Dublin
Inlaid with boxwood and ebonised lines, the shaped rectangular cavetto moulded cornice above a pair of astragal glazed doors enclosing a later silk lined interior and three glass shelves, with serpentine sides inlaid with riband tied leafy fronds, above a cavetto waist inlaid with paterae and bellflowers above a shaped rectangular top with lobed parcel gilt moulding, above three long drawers with interlaced leafy borders flanked by trailing bellflowers on the uprights, the sides inlaid with swagged scrolling leaves and classical urns, on stiff leaf parcel gilt feet, stamped inside the top drawer, 'J. HICKS', previously fitted for electricity, 125cm wide, 50cm deep, 226cm high (49in wide, 19.5in deep, 88.5in high).
Footnotes
James Hicks was born into a family of Dublin chair-makers and was trained in London in the cabinet making workshops on Tottenham Court Road. On his return to Dublin he set up business in Lower Pembroke Street in 1894 and established what was to become one of the city's leading cabinet-making firms. His clients included Princess Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and King Edward VII. The firm specialised in high quality copies of pieces in the styles of Sheraton, Hepplewhite, Chippendale styles as well as pieces in the style of the prominent 18th century Dublin cabinet-maker and marqueteur William Moore. Hicks described himself as a 'Cabinet Manufacturer, Collector and Restorer of Chippendale, Adam and Sheraton furniture'
The present cabinet appears to be based on a George III satinwood and marquetry secretaire cabinet attributed Mayhew and Ince, sold Sotheby's New York, January 26, 1985, lot 214 and re-offered 11-12 April, 1997, lot 789 in the same rooms. Its attribution relies on a repertoire of ornament closely related to documented examples by the firm. These include a group of commodes illustrated in Hugh Roberts, "The Derby House Commode", The Burlington Magazine, May 1985, pp. 280, 282 and 283, figs. 12-23 and Lucy Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, No. 22, pp. 195-202, figs. i-x, No. 24, pp. 210-16, figs. i-xi, and No. 26, pp. 222-25, figs., i-vi.
Saleroom notices
Please note: in the printed catalogue a star (*) appears to the side of the lot number, this is incorrect and what should appear is a 'y' to indicate that as this item contains rosewood it may be be subject to Cites if exported outside of the EU.