PRESENTING A GORGEOUS late 19th Century British made corner cabinet, made of beautiful rosewood and profusely inlaid with marquetry and faux ivory.
Made in London, by Collinson and Lock, circa 1875-1890.
Triangular/pyramidal in shape, with graduating levels leading to a pointed top.
From the floor moving upwards:-
The cabinet stands on finely carved and turned legs to the front and more solid supports to the rear, with 2 open shelves in between.
The central section, has 2 doors, with lock and working key, that open to reveal 2 more shelves for storage.
The front of each door, is heavily inlaid with marquetry of satinwood/boxwood, depicting urns, flowers, vases etc.
It is also heavily inlaid with finely carved and hand-painted faux ivory sections, depicting cherubs and faces on the flowers.
The display section above the doors, is 3 tiered, in an almost ‘gothic/cathedral style’ and again, has heavily inlaid panels, with marquetry and faux ivory, in similar depictions to the base.
The display section has a large shelf, then a smaller shelf above with curved ‘concave’ design and a similar smaller shelf above, at the top.
Each shelf section is flanked by a pointed wooden finial(s).
A set of 4 beveled mirrors are inserted into the rear of the top section on both sides, to mimic a ‘3D’ effect for displays.
It is edged and banded in gorgeous dark moldings.
Photos cannot do this piece justice!
Beautifully made and REALLY ‘TOP QUALITY’ piece!
EXCEPTIONAL ‘HIGH-END’ PIECE OF FURNITURE!
Attributed to a well known London maker ….. Collinson & Lock, famous for this type of work and HIGHLY sought after.
The firm Collinson & Lock was founded in the late 19th century by F.G. Collinson and G.J. Lock, both of whom were former employees of Jackson & Graham.
The company manufactured furniture for the likes of the Savoy Theatre and the new Law Courts, and a variety of their furniture items were featured at the Paris Exposition Universelle exhibit in 1878. Some of the many furniture designers who were employed by the firm include E. W. Godwin (who was paid a retainer to produce designs for the company from 1872 and 1874), T.E. Colcutt, Stephen Webb, H.W. Batley, and many more.
Webb designed for the firm between 1885 and 1897 and exhibited at the Arts and Crafts Society Exhibitions from 1888 to 1906. He was also a member of the Art Workers Guild. Webb is now best remembered for his designs of intarsia, which he normally executed in ivory. Much of the furniture which was decorated with Webb`s inlaid work was designed by the firms founding partner J. S. Lock.
I originally bought it at Auction in Ireland circa 20 years ago and had a number of competing bidders against me, including a number of London bidders, by phone.
It was an expensive item to buy!
19C English Marquetry Inlaid Corner Cabinet Attributed to Collinson and Lock
Provenance: Bought at a High-end Antique Auction in Ireland.
Dimensions: 78.5 inches Tall, 29 inches Wide and 17.5 inches deep
Condition: Very good. One very small piece of molding/trim on the side is a replacement.