A George II mahogany pier table circa 1750, Irish

with a moulded rectangular top, above a carved frieze centred with a shell between oak leaf swags, with floral and foliate scrolls, raised on slender cabriole supports terminating in paw feet, 150.5cm wide, 70cm deep, 78cm high, The Hon. David Lawrence Robert Nall-Cain (1930-2004), younger son of Arthur Ronald Nall-Cain, 2nd Baron Brocket, at Carton House, Maynooth, County Kildare; thence by descent to the present owner, Hertfordshire, UK. Literature: Margaret Jourdain, ‘Irish Furniture’, 'Antiques', March 1950; Gerald A Kenyon, 'The Irish Furniture at Malahide Castle', Dublin, 1994; The Knight of Glin and James Peill, 'Irish Furniture: Woodwork and Carving in Ireland from the Earliest Times to the Act of Union', New Haven and London, 2007, particularly pp. 221-233 and figs. 116-117; Bonhams, London, 20 November 2007, A George III Irish carved mahogany side table, for the closely related treatment of the short ends, oak-and-acorn swags and paw feet; Christie's, 'Collections: Including Ardbraccan House, Ireland and a Sicilian Palazzo', 15 April 2026, lot 12, for a related George II Irish mahogany side table with a deeply carved shell-centred frieze, cabriole legs and hairy paw feet. The Christie's table was described as characteristic of mid-18th-century Irish cabinetmaking. Few forms of 18th-century Irish furniture possess quite the individuality of the carved mahogany side table. Made for the entrance halls, dining rooms and principal apartments of Ireland's great country houses and Dublin townhouses, these tables combined the architectural conventions of Georgian design with a freedom and vigour of carving that developed a distinctly Irish character. Dating from around 1750, the present table belongs convincingly within this tradition, its generous proportions and deep frieze providing the setting for a particularly rich display of carving. At the centre of the frieze is a prominent scallop shell, from which the ornament spreads outwards through scrolling foliage, flowers and swags of oak leaves. Comparatively slender cabriole legs descend to boldly modelled paw feet, balancing the broad horizontal weight of the top and apron. The effect is one of controlled abundance, the ornament vigorous without overwhelming the underlying form. Mahogany was particularly well suited to furniture of this type. Dublin's position as an important Atlantic trading port gave its cabinetmakers access to imported tropical timbers, and the finest 18th-century Irish furniture often makes generous use of dense, richly figured mahogany. Its strength and close grain allowed carvers to work with considerable depth and clarity, while the deep aprons characteristic of many Irish tables offered unusually expansive surfaces for ornament. Shells, foliage, flowers and fruit could spread across the frieze and knees, often culminating in claw, paw or hairy feet. In the finest examples, ornament and structure become almost inseparable. These characteristics are well represented among surviving Irish tables of the middle decades of the 18th century. Margaret Jourdain drew attention to examples with deep carved aprons, prominent shells, scrolling ornament and paw feet, while Gerald A Kenyon's study of the furniture at Malahide Castle illustrates the richness with which Irish makers developed the form. The Malahide tables combine deeply worked aprons, punched or cross-hatched grounds and naturalistic foliage and flowers with boldly carved cabriole legs and animal feet. Together with further examples published by the Knight of Glin and James Peill, they reveal not a single prescribed pattern, but a distinctive decorative language interpreted with considerable freedom by Irish craftsmen. Such tables formed part of the architectural furnishing of the Georgian interior. Positioned beneath pictures or mirrors, between windows or against decorated walls, their strong silhouettes and deeply modelled carving responded to chimney pieces, plasterwork and the changing play of light across a room. The richest examples possess an almost sculptural quality, intended to be appreciated not only from the front but also from the sides as they were encountered within the interior. With its assured proportions, sculptural shell, naturalistic ornament and powerful paw feet, the present table is a particularly accomplished expression of this tradition. Familiar elements of Georgian design are treated with a freedom and confidence characteristic of the finest Irish furniture, transforming an essentially architectural form into an object of unmistakable individuality and character. Condition Report, Condition Report, This lot does not have a condition report, if you would like further information, please click the 'Request A Condition Report’ button below. Request A Condition Report, Request A Condition Report

Estimación:35.897,31€

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