Master Art

The broken arched pediment with mouldings of parcel gilding, centred by a carved gilt cartouche and flanked by finials over a mirrored door with shaped gilded mouldings opening to reveal and arrangement of drawers and pigeon holes with adjustable shelves. The well figured fall opening to reveal a shaped and fitted interior with shaped bombe drawers and a central mirrored door over four graduated drawers retaining their original handles and escutcheons, bordered by chased bronze corner mounts with gilt mouldings and raised upon ogee bracket feet. 


This sumptuous bureau cabinet with its lower section of bombe form is attributed to the celebrated furniture maker Giles Grendey (1693-1780), whose premises were at St. Johns Square, Clerkenwell. 
It is of particularly elaborate form combining burr walnut veneers inlaid with chequer banding with finely detailed water gilt gesso mouldings together with exceptionally fine quality gilt bronze mounts, handles and escutcheons. 
Two related cabinets include an example with double-doors in its upper section which was formerly in the Hochschild collection (sold Sotheby’s, London 1 December 1978, lot 13, £300,000 including premium; also illustrated in Lanto Synge, Mallet’s Great English Furniture, London, 1991, p.49, pl. 43), and another with a single door which was formerly at Little Gidding Church, Huntingdonshire (sold anonymously Sotheby’s, London, 5 June 2007, lot 111, £240,000 including premium.) 

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