The carved frame with original faux-rosewood and parcel-gilt decoration; retaining much of the original upholstery and calico. There are also small scraps of green & gold silk Jacquard suggesting the original top cover. An illegible chalk mark under the frame and a numbered reference to the seat back “111/8.”
A daybed from the same commission was sold at Christies in New York in April 2007.
Three influential publications were born in the first decade of the Nineteenth century:
- ‘Household Furniture & Interior Decoration’ by Thomas Hope (1769 - 1831). Published in 1807.
- ‘Collection of Designs for Household Furniture & Interior Decoration’ by George Smith. Published in 1808.
- ‘Recueil de Décorations Intérieurs….’ By Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine. Published in 1801
Whilst the offered sofa or Settee does not precisely conform to a particular plate in these publications it owes its design to a workshop of the highest ability with a knowledge of these publications. The construction is absolutely of the period and retains three-quarters of its original base upholstery.
The dimensions of the piece suggest a British workshop however the recent history has been in a private Parisian collection.
On stripping the sofa, there are a few tantalising remnants of a rich green silk top cover which must have been the first
decorative scheme. The frame decoration is carved throughout rather than applied moulded composition onto which is a decorative scheme of water gilding over faux-rosewood graining. There are some areas of loss and small sections of new carving.
The sofa is en suite to a daybed sold at Christies New York in April 2007 with all elements of an identical design. The
cataloguing also describes a daybed sold at Christie’s London of similar design in July 1997.
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