Footnotes

Provenance
The offered lot was with Alfred Cook of London at the Antique Dealer's Fair and Exhibition, London, 1951, from where it was acquired by Doris Merrill Magowan.
Some time later being sold as part of the collection, and upon behalf, of Doris Merrill Magowan, Christie's, New York, 22 May 2002, lot 90.
Subsequently it was purchased by the current owner and vendor Christie's, London, 5 July 2018, Thomas Chippendale: 300 Years, lot 6.

Literature
Antique Dealer's Fair and Exhibition, Exhibition Catalogue, 1951, p. 35.

The present Neoclassical secretaire chest is in the Etruscan style, which was established and developed in Britain by the foremost classically trained architect of the period, Robert Adam (1728-92). Its elegant marquetry is comprised of scrolled acanthus foliage, distinctive urns, paterae and repeating stylised foliate pattern borders. Whilst notable embellishments in the French inspired gout grec vein are the graceful guilloche oval door panel surrounds which certainly strengthen the impact of the overall inlaid scheme.

Due to its relatively narrow proportions, this magnificent piece of furniture was doubtless originally intended for implementation, either beneath a grandiose mirror or large window, in a space most frequently referred to as a pier. In terms of quality, aesthetic beauty and constructional refinement it should be considered alongside some of the most important and rightly celebrated furniture made by Thomas Chippendale.

This latter group of major Neoclassical works produced by the Chippendale firm include the following four masterpieces of cabinet making; the commode supplied to Sir Rowland Winn for Lady Winn's bedchamber at Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, in 1770; the remarkable 'Diana and Minerva' commode provided in 1773 to Harewood House, Yorkshire, on behalf of Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood; the pair of 'Panshanger' cabinets of circa 1773 commissioned by Sir Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne, for Melbourne House, Piccadilly, but now housed at Firle Place, East Sussex; and finally the 'Renishaw' commode also made for Lord Melbourne, albeit in circa 1775, and today located at Renishaw Hall, Yorkshire.

The Marquetry Scheme
The design of the urns featuring prominently on the door panels of the above appear practically identical to those inlaid on the front of the renowned Nostell Priory commode. The Nostell commode appears in C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, London, Vol. II, fig.'s 221-222. Indeed, all four of these marquetry urns are almost exactly the same, making it difficult to differentiate them. They are all composed of reeded and acanthus wrapped baluster bodies with Greek key form handles, and are set within wonderfully figured ovals, whilst being surmounted by palmette finials. Also, worthy of comparison are the similar Neoclassical urns inlaid onto the doors of a pair of commodes executed by the Chippendale workshop upon behalf of William Constable, intended for his drawing room at his home on Mansfield Street, in London. These latter examples sold Christie's, London, 9 July 1992, lot 55.

The interlacing geometric inlay on the periphery of the panels of the offered cabinet appears to be a development of the re-entrant (or 'cut-corner') angles which were and had been characteristics featuring predominantly on carved mahogany pieces often, although not exclusively, produced by the Chippendale operation. However, in this developed guise, it seems closely comparable to the border inlay on the top and sides of a dressing-bureau likewise dating to 1770-1775, formerly belonging to Lady Elizabeth Child-Villiers, which also sold in the same Thomas Chippendale: 300 Years sale, Christies, London, 5 July 2018, lot 5.

Such interlaced adornments can even be seen on a related secretaire which sold Christie's, London, 24 November 2005, lot 131 and suggestions of this are also notable on the pair of pedestals which form a key element of the sideboard suite provided in circa 1771 for the dining room at Harewood House. These pedestals are illustrated in C. Gilbert, Ibid, pl. 7, fig.'s 350 and 352.

The foliate decoration to either side of the secretaire drawer front, which is comprised of twin opposing elongated foliate c-scrolls and a palmette emanating from a bellflower, is redolent of a similar pattern of inlay on the uprights of the fabulous 'Panshanger' cabinets. Whilst the Roman scrolled acanthus interspersed by rosette terminals on the frieze of the present cabinet, seemingly influenced by the designs of Michelangelo Pergolesi (1760-1801), resembles the foliate marquetry appearing on the top of the 'Diana and Minerva' commode. Here it is interesting to note that upon Robert Adam's request, Pergolesi had visited the British architect, travelling from Rome to London to do so, in order that the former might assist Adam in working upon the latter's 1764 publication, "Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro [sic] in Dalmatia". For reference, see Classical Ornament of the 18th Century: Designed and Engraved by Michelangelo Pergolesi, 1970, New York, pl.'s 14 & 25.

Further inlay on the offered lot most likely inspired by the work of Pergolesi are the repeating stylised foliage appearing on the main upright sections (or pilaster angles) together with the elegant guilloche surrounds which immediately encompass the ovals on the door panels, Ibid, pl.'s 33 & 58. Eventually an extensive compilation of Pergolesi prints, which have been referred to as 'Rococo ornament in classical disguise', were released under the title, "Designs for Various Ornaments, etc", between 1777 and 1801, Ibid, p. VI.

Intriguingly, the first two editions of Chippendale's "The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director" were dedicated to Hugh Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland (1st Duke, from 1766 onwards), who was a significant patron of the arts at that period. And the posthumous version of Pergolesi's "Designs" included a similar dedication to the same, in the form of an In-Memoriam plate inscribed: 'To the Memory of the Late Most High and Puissant Prince Hugh Percy Duke of Northumberland', Ibid, pl. 56b.

The Feet
The above chest seems figuratively, as well as obviously literally, elevated by the confident flourish of its Grecian-inspired scrolled splayed feet. Each is inlaid with a bellflower pendant terminating in a Greek key base and they appear to have been derived from a design by Jean Berain (1638-1711) for a Louis XIV sarcophagus form commode. This commode features in L'Oeuvre Complet de Jean Berain, Paris, n.d., pl. 88.

Comparable feet with the same detailing, albeit constituted by means of ormolu mounts instead of inlay, can be seen on a pair of commodes allegedly provided to the 1st Duke of Wellington by the Chippendale firm. They are featured extensively, and dated therein to 1775-1780, in L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, London, no. 20, i-xii & fig. 168, pp.'s 180-185. One of these commodes now resides in the collection at the Lady Lever Gallery, Port Sunlight, whilst the companion model sold Christie's, London, 6 July 1995, lot 152, which also subsequently sold in the same rooms, 4 July 1996, lot 398.

Similar terminations likewise distinguish a spectacular commode produced by the Chippendale workshop for 11 St. James's Square upon behalf of Sir Rowland Winn. This was offered in the same major sale, alongside the present secretaire and the previously mentioned marquetry dressing-bureau, Christie's, London, 5 July 2018, Thomas Chippendale: 300 Years, lot 10. Formerly this Winn commode had sold Christie's, London, 5 December 1991, lot 130.

All four of these examples, including of course the offered lot, appear to have a Chippendale design dating to circa 1762 as their collective source, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 20.40.2(61). Another important aspect to note is that both the 'Wellington' commodes and the Winn model incorporate very similar interlocking geometric strapwork as appears on the above. Added to this, the feet on this cabinet have been supported by laminated blocks, glued together and then glued behind the brackets to give them great strength and resilience; a workshop practice much favoured by Chippendale.

Related Literature
C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, London, Vol. II.
Classical Ornament of the Eighteenth Century: Designed and Engraved by Michelangelo Pergolesi, 1970, New York.
L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, 1994, London.