Regency Rosewood Book Tray Attributed to Gillows

Each cistern is in the form of a fluted vase on a rectangular pedestal. The lead-lined vases have brass handles, removable lids with pineapple finials and taps. The crossbanded pedestals have cupboard doors enclosing slatted shelves for warming plates in one and a lead-lined slops drawers, a tambour fronted shelf and a cellaret in the other. Susan Stuart, 'Gillow of Lancaster and London', 2008 vol 1 p308-315 illustrates many pedestal urns including the drawings for Workington Hall, Cumbria, dated 1788. PLates 342 and 343 show pedestals with a similar arrangement of shelves and drawers. Thomas Sheraton explained the functions of dining room pedestals in his 'Drawing Book' of 1793: 'IN spacious dining rooms the sideboards are often made without drawers of any sort, having simply a rail, a little ornament...

A Regency period rosewood sofa games table attributed to Gillows of Lancaster; the top with rounded ends covered in the original distressed leather, with a central reversible chess board which can be removed to display a backgammon board beneath, the frieze with a dummy drawer retaining its original gilded handles and decorated with ormolu mounts; having elegant lyre ends raised on outswept legs terminating in acanthus cap castors. English, circa 1815. Provenance: Hermione Countess of Ranfurly The Countess of Ranfurly was the author of ‘To War with Whitaker’ her memoirs of life in Cairo with Eisenhower. Her husband was the 6th Earl of Ranfurly and the Governor General of Bahamas between 1953 and 1956. Footnote: The design for a rosewood sofa table in the sketch book of 13 April 1813, made for John Gladstone of Liverpool, father of the future Prime Minister, is published in Susan E Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, 2008 Vol I, p.265, pl. 270. When the firm made the ‘sofa backgammon table, to suit the above’ (p267, pls 272 and 273) no expense was spared. With the extra tooled morocco...

A very attractive antique late Regency giltwood centre table attributed to Gillow of Lancaster and London, inset with an Italian Pietra Dura top, The central turned baluster supp...

A large Regency mahogany serving table attributed to Gillows, the shaped top above a fluted frieze with four superb ormolu lion’s mask r...

We are delighted to offer for sale this pair of large and collectable Regency style metamorphic armchair which converts into Library steps after the original 18th century design by Gillows of Lancaster with Burr Walnut panels A very good looking and well made pair, I have never seen a Regency style piece with Burr Walnut panels before, the leather seat pads have been restored by my leather polishers, they have been hand dyed six times, antiqued and sealed The period 1800-1825 was a great one for ‘patent’ or ‘metamorphic’ furniture This chair, which transforms into a short set of steps for use with bookshelves, is close to a design for a ‘Library Chair’ published in Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository of the Arts in July 1811, which was made by the London firm of Morgan and Saunders, of Catherine Street, Strand. They were well known for their ingenious furniture, including reading chairs with writing surfaces attached and a great variety of travelling beds...

The rectangular padded seat covered in brown leather, opening to reveal a set of library steps, over a solid inlaid seat-rail and ring-turned tapering legs ending in castors. 18in. high, 34 1/2in. wide and 16 1/2in. deep. Opened, 36in. high and 49in. wide. Rooms organized during the Regency period as libraries often had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The upper shelves were difficult to reach, so movable library stairs were invaluable. Further, libraries were one of the most important rooms in a stately house, symbol of its owner's wealth, culture and status. As a consequence, designers, architects and cabinet or chair makers devoted much attention to its architecture and decoration. Hence, the emrgence of innovative ideas such as our bench. Enter the Regency era metamorphic library chair/bench (chairs are more common than benches)! The tables, chairs and stools containing library steps were patented in Great Britain by Robert Campbell in 1774 but this innovative chair-based design did not become immediately popular. Once the Regency was established, a neo-classical interpretation of Campbell’s Metamorphic Library Chair concept started to become popular in London. Any early attributions rely heavily on two contemporary sketches...

Vintage Italian Regency Red Leather Bound "Science" Faux Book Bookend. Item featured has a leather-bound faux book form, gold gilt details, nice larger size, original aged/distressed...

We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare original Gillows Lancaster circa 1850 height adjustable walnut fire screen A very good looking and well made screen from pretty m...