PRESENTING AN ‘ABOLUTELY STUNNING’ PIECE OF IRISH FURNITURE HISTORY, namely, an 18C Irish George II Mahogany Silver Chest on the most amazing and EXCEPTIONAL Carved Stand.
Made circa 1745, by an obviously ‘top quality’ Irish Georgian furniture maker.
This piece was made for someone VERY WEALTHY, a ‘Titled’ person!
It still has its original brass handles, escutcheon, hinges and lock. No key.
Unlike many ‘Blanket/Linen’ Chests of that period, this ‘Chest’, would have been used for storing silver and probably would have been located in the Lord’s living room.
It would have been displayed in a prominent place in his Manor House or Castle, as it ‘screams’ out to visitors: “Look at my enormous and high quality silver chest, I own a lot of silver and did I tell you, I’m VERY WEALTHY!”.
The Chest itself is of simple construction, solid Cuban flamed mahogany and it fits/sits onto a hand-carved stand, specifically/purpose built for it.
The purpose of the stand was two-fold:- (1) to give the chest, a much, much more decorative effect and (2) to elevate the chest from the stone floors that would be wet when mopped/cleaned.
The ‘carved stand’, is where all the ‘action’ begins with this piece!
It is an extremely finely hand-carved base with scrolling floral motifs, with elaborate fretwork carving, centering on a GORGEOUS and large scallop shell, flanked by a pair of spiral rosettes.
The Scallop Shell is the classic Irish Georgian furniture signature, of the mid 18th Century!
The legs are finely carved lions paw feet, with hairy knees.
THE BASE/STAND IS QUITE SIMPLY, STUNNING!
The piece has a GLORIOUS NATURALLY aged PATINA throughout, in the flamed mahogany.
The top is hinged and lifts to be held in place by a later wooden support/lever.
GEORGE II: George II (George Augustus; German: Georg II. August; 30 October / 9 November 1683O.S./N.S. – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 (O.S.) until his death.
George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain: he was born and brought up in northern Germany. His grandmother, Sophia of Hanover, became second in line to the British throne after about 50 Catholics higher in line were excluded by the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Acts of Union 1707, which restricted the succession to Protestants. After the deaths of Sophia and Anne, Queen of Great Britain, in 1714, his father George I, Elector of Hanover, inherited the British throne. In the first years of his father’s reign as king, George was associated with opposition politicians, until they re-joined the governing party in 1720.
As king from 1727, George exercised little control over British domestic policy, which was largely controlled by the Parliament of Great Britain. As elector, he spent 12 summers in Hanover, where he had more direct control over government policy. He had a difficult relationship with his eldest son, Frederick, who supported the parliamentary opposition. During the War of the Austrian Succession, George participated at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743, and thus became the last British monarch to lead an army in battle. In 1745, supporters of the Catholic claimant to the British throne, James Francis Edward Stuart (“The Old Pretender”), led by James’s son Charles Edward Stuart (“The Young Pretender” or “Bonnie Prince Charlie”), attempted and failed to depose George in the last of the Jacobite rebellions. Frederick died unexpectedly in 1751, nine years before his father, and so George II was ultimately succeeded by his grandson, George III.
For two centuries after George II’s death, history tended to view him with disdain, concentrating on his mistresses, short temper and boorishness. Since then, most scholars have re-assessed his legacy and conclude that he held and exercised influence in foreign policy and military appointments.
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II_of_Great_Britain
This piece is TRULY SPECIAL, HISTORICAL AND UNIQUE!
IT IS ONE OF THE FINEST PIECES OF IRISH GEORGIAN FURNITURE, WE HAVE EVER SEEN!
THE BASE CARVING, IS WITHOUT DOUBT, THE BEST EXAMPLE OF IRISH GEORGIAN CARVING, WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN 30 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY!
18C Irish George II Mahogany Silver Chest on Exceptional Carved Stand
Dimensions: On the base, it is 52 inches wide, 35.75 inches tall (unopened), and 24.75 inches deep.
It is 56.5 inches tall, fully open
The base/stand is 14.75 inches tall.
The Interior of the Chest is 19 inches deep.
Provenance: Bought by us at a Well Known & Internationally Recognized Irish Auction House, in Ireland 25 years ago. It was part of the contents, of an old Irish Georgian Manor House Estate.
Condition: Overall in very good original condition. One or two, very minor blemishes, to the chest lid, namely, some very minor cracks in the veneer from natural age, but not significant. No key.
PRICE: $44,999 – SALE PRICE NOW: $32,000
