Edward. William, Godwin born in Bristol in 1833 a close friend of both Oscar Wilde & James Mc Neil Whistler & a collaborator with this famous artist, both of whom he designed furniture & Interior's for. He lived out of wedlock with the most famous stage actress of the time Ellen Terry whom he had 2 children with something which was somewhat scandalous in those strict Victorian times.
Godwin a true pioneer of his day, a revolutionary of his time the Godfather of the modern movement & a significant leader in the influence on domestic design, one of the first people to incorporate economy & hygiene into his furniture, his thinning designs using as little wood as appropriate yet making the piece as strong as possible, so the maid could move the furniture to clean behind & under & without dust attracting area's so important in an age where disease was rife. His disbandment of clumsy or over ornate detailing his lean toward line & form in a purely Japanese style yet he never visited Japan, he was most probably the first man in England to decorate his house in the Japanese style & drew part of his inspiration from 2 volumes of Hokusai's Mangwa from which he gained his knowledge of Japanese wood construction & he carefully studied original pieces on display at museums. At the same time he couldn't have failed to have been aware of the massive influx of Japanese items that were pouring in from the boats docking in Bristol from the far East in the 1850's & 60's.
He was a master designer in many different styles but most famous for his Anglo-Japanese designs, a pure geneous who truly understood the art of restraint. He wrote 'If we were asked to select the style of furniture from the new designs before us, we require first that the furniture be well lifted from the floor & second that it be as light as is consistent with real strength. But this is not all. It is essential for true domestic comfort in these high pressure nervous times, that the common objects of everyday life should be quiet simple & unobtrusive in their beauty,' a statement that carries William Morris's ideals some 10 years later. He also wrote 'I look upon all my work as art work. A building to me is as a picture to a painter or a poem to a poet, as Max Beerbohm wrote, 'That Godwin was that superb Architect...the greatest Aesthete of them all'.
A.F.Geering 2004
GODWIN EX - 1
1 The Eaton Hall Rosewood Cabinet
Design firmly attributed to E.W.Godwin
Made by Collinson & Lock of London
c1878
£POA.
The scroll-carved broken arched Queen Anne pediment above a dentil and moulded frieze with a pair of astragal glazed doors flanked by shelves beneath fielded panels, above a central drawer and semi-circular cupboards, the moulded top above a pair of panelled doors with an open panelled section beneath, on fine shaped splayed feet & Japanesque engraved handles, hinges & escutions.
This piece has many features, which firmly show Godwin’s hand at work i.e.
The Queen Anne broken pediment, (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, Butterfly cabinet page 227, & a Queen Anne cabinet page 269 & ‘over door’ page 251) the dentil moulding to the top identical to the Butterfly cabinet, astragal glazed doors and panelled lower doors identical to a design for a table for Grey Towers (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 157 & similar detail to the doors on 2 cabinets on page 222,223).
The semi-circular central side doors and semi circular open shelves above are identical to a dressing table and a sketch for a dresser (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 211), a design for a mantle piece (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 248) and a design for a buffet (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 265).
The integrated design of solids & voids in many of his cabinet designs and the framed back panels to each individual shelf and framed panels to each side is typical of his work.
The splayed front feet are identical to the Four Seasons cabinet (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 217).
The elongated handles with japanesque engraved back plates simulating Japanese rush work (Susan Soros, E. W .Godwin Aesthetic Movement, Architect & designer, page 303 fig 11-10 & Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 268) a detail he used in many combinations point firmly to Godwin.
The Eaton Hall Rosewood Cabinet has all the tell tale signs of a genius at work an infusion of styles Queen Anne, Anglo Japanese, Sheraton which blend together harmoniously ‘Sheraton & Queen Anne in Japan at Eaton Hall’ only Godwin could design this masterpiece. Possibly part of a larger commission as the archivist also found a Collinson & Lock billiard table in the inventory at Eaton Hall & Godwin is known to have designed these for Collinson & Lock as a design appears in a sketchbook on the 6th of October 1873 carved in the Jacobean style with circular decorations of “white storks in relief” interspersed with square panels & a corresponding entry on the 7th of October 1873 shows that he designed it for the Mclaren house a large commission that Godwin did at Adison Rd, Kensington.
Stamped: Collinson and Lock, London 7480
Handles, hinges, escutions all stamped Elsleys, Gt Portland St, London.
50¼ in. (127.5 cm.) wide; 89½ in. (227.5 cm.) high; 16 in. (40.5 cm.) deep
PROVENANCE
The previous owner bought the cabinet from a sale of the contents of Eaton Hall, Cheshire, which was held by Sweatenhams of Chester on 20th and 21st of May 1959, Lot 283,
The third Marquis of Westminster ?who was bestowed his title in 1869, and later became the 2nd Duke of Westminster in 1874? commissioned Sir Alfred Waterhouse to substantially remodel and rebuild Eaton Hall. The work began in 1869 and reached its completion in 1883.The large drawing room can be seen in a photograph taken circa 1887, plate 199 in Jeremy Cooper, Victorian & Edwardian Furniture and Interiors, in which Cooper mentions that the Duke had spent £600,000 on the decoration alone, and that Heaton, Butler & Bayne carried out the work.
In 1885, an inventory of the contents of Eaton Hall was carried out, and it is precisely at this point in time that the cabinet receives its first mention. Having occupied a place in the ‘Ormand Sitting Room, 72’ on the ground floor of the North Wing of the Waterhouse Hall, the cabinet was described as, ‘A Rosewood china cabinet with cupboards beneath and glass fronts at the top, 50ins.’ The cabinet is then mentioned again in a 1917 inventory in the Angel Bedroom.
The cabinet made its next appearance in 1931 in the ‘Declaration of Trusts’, which was a valuation of the contents of Eaton Hall, appearing as T86/27 in the Stewards Offices with a similar description, and then finally in the 1959 sale mentioned above.
Sotheby’s, and various other local auctioneers held many sales of the various contents of Eaton Hall from 1955 through to 1961 until the Hall was demolished in 1961. This description was compiled with the generous help and assistance of the Grosvenor Estate’s Archive Department, Eaton Hall, Cheshire.
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GODWIN EX 2 -
Anglo-Japanese bookcase with painted panels of Greek Scenes.
Designed by Edward William Godwin for Dr George Bird.
Panels painted by Charles Fairfax Murray.
£POA.
This Bookcase was designed for Dr Byrd & passed onto the Iondies family by descent which has miraculously escaped destruction after 1949 when Harbron took the photograph & therefore the correspondence with the decedents of the Ionides is incorrect, Susan Weber Soros states that :- recent correspondence (Published '1999' The Secular Furniture of E.W.Godwin) with the decedents of the Ionides family reveals that both the third version & the partner to the present example have been destroyed. So it's almost certain that only one was ever completely destroyed & one cut in half & this one is the only complete example known in existence therefore unique. Three were originally made, two for Dr Byrd one which was cut down that example without it's top is illustrated in the Soros book & the other one destroyed.
There is a painted panel to one side by Charles Fairfax Murray in good condition & a pencil & water colour cartoon to the other side, the cartoon although quite faded & somewhat distressed looks suspiciously like it's drawn by Burne Jones & the panels were originally believed to be executed by Burne Jones although Harbron in 1949 maintains the panels were painted by Charles Glidden, this has now been proved incorrect as the left hand painting is definitely by Charles Fairfax Murray. I think it's quite possible that Burne Jones may have drawn the panels in pencil & water colour as a tracing ready for someone else to paint them. From what I can make out it is depicting a Prince or a Knight about to kiss a maiden or a princess, she is looking into his eyes reaching out & touching his arm & about to kiss. There is a sword laying at his feet & his own sword held to his waist or in his belt with the blade in view & the point to the earth, there looks like there may be the tail of what may have been a dragon adjacent to the sword laying by his feet & maybe a person that may have been slain laying at the feet of the maiden & in the right hand corner there is a castle with banner flaying & a crescent moon beside it.
The lower half measurements of my example are exactly the same as the cut down version.
Circa 1871.
Height 85 1/2", Width 39", Depth 19".
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GODWIN EX - 3
Anglo-Japanese armchair. Attributed to E.W. Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt.
£POA.
The chair is in good original condition, very solid with original ebonising, The castors are stamped 'COPES PATENT' one has been replaced.
Attribution is on these findings (see The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin by Susan Weber Soros).
(A) It has the identical side stretchers as the front stretchers of his side chair made by W.Watt. (Illustration No 136.1-11.)
(B)The frontice page from his catalogue of art furniture for W. Watt (Plate 1) has a built in cabinet in the left hand corner at the bottom of the stairs & has a cut-out in the door which is, without a doubt, identical to the cut out below the arm, there is also a very similar cut out in his music Canterbury, made by W.Watt in 1876, (Illustration 338) & a design for a settee on page 119 (illustration 146) & the actual drawing of the settee by Godwin on page 39 (illustration 22), which shows the same cut-out again.
(C)The tops of the rear uprights are the same as the tops on the famous bookcases he designed for the large corridor of Dromore Castle, (Illustration No 311.111) & the tops of a buffet & sideboard, (Illustration No 354 & 355), also a water colour of a hanging cabinet (Illustration No 354) which has similar cut-outs to the sides, made by William Watt. It has a style intimately in common with his famous Anglo-Japanese sideboards.
Circa 1875.
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GODWIN EX - 4.
Anglo-Japanese rosewood table with 6 splayed legs ending with brass shoes.
Designed by Edward William Godwin.
There is a similar table illustrated in the William Watt catalogue of 1877 with radiating stretchers & splayed legs.
Circa 1877-80.
£SOLD.
Height 28", Width 36", Depth 36".
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GODWIN EX - 5
An 8 leg Anglo-Japanese sideboard with brass shoes.
Designed by Edward William Godwin.
Made by Collinson & Lock.
£POA.
A superior design with much thought & consideration encompassing his Hygenic approach to furniture design & incorporating many similar details to his most famous Anglo Japanese cabinets. (See Susan Weber Soros The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin page 176 to 183). The 8 legs all with brass shoes typical to Godwin the way the back legs are designed an inch forward to compensate for skirting boards allowing it to fit tight against a wall with open shelves to the base & open shelves above breaking back to a 3 door display area to the top with adjustable shelf. The tramline scribed detail to the side & fronts of the legs & the cornice with dentil moulding is identicle to the famous Butterfly fireplace painted by James McNeil Whistler & exhibited in the Paris exhibition of 1878.
Circa 1870's.
Height 72", Width 74", Depth 18".
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GODWIN EX - 7
Anglo Japanese desk.
Designed by E.W. Godwin
Made by William Watt.
£POA.
Circa 1875.
Height 30", Length 43", Depth 24".
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GODWIN EX - 8
Anglo-Japanese Gong & striking stick.
Designed by E.W. Godwin.
Possibly made by William Watt.
Circa 1870's.
£SOLD.
Height 31", Width 26", Depth 11".
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GODWIN EX - 9
Anglo-Japanese Gong.
Designed by E.W. Godwin.
Possibly made by William Watt.
Circa 1870's.
£SOLD.
Height 29", Width 23", Depth 9 1/2".
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GODWIN EX - 10
Anglo-Japanese firescreen
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Possibly made by William Watt.
With a silk Japanese boating scene.
Circa 1870's.
£SOLD.
Height 32", Width 30", Depth 10 1/2".
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GODWIN EX - 11.
8 leg Ebonised desk with a Macassar Ebony top.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Made by Collinson & Lock.
Circa 1875.
£SOLD.
Height 29 3/4", Width 41 1/4", Depth 21".
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GODWIN EX - 12.
Anglo-Japanese ebonised side chair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt. See 'The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin' by Susan Soros, page 113.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 13.
Anglo-Japanese ebonised side chair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt. See 'The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin' by Susan Soros, page 113.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 14.
Anglo-Japanese ebonised side chair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt. See 'The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin' by Susan Soros, page 113
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 15.
Anglo-Japanese Walnut side chair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt. See 'The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin' by Susan Soros, page 113.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 16.
An Anglo-Japanese armchair designed by E.W.GODWIN. See The Secular Furniture of E W Godwin by Susan Weber Soros page 113.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
I have had some printing blocks made to the original design that E W Godwin did for embossing leather coverings for Dromore Castle in Limerick. Ireland. Which I have used on this chair giving it an original period look. This is the 2nd one of these chairs I have found in 20 years of searching.
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GODWIN EX - 17
An Old English or Jacobean armchair
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Made by William Watt.
Circa 1875.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 18
Jacobean or Old English office swivel Armchair.
Design by E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt.
With it's original drop in rush seat, very few of this type of office chair would have been made in comparison to the armchairs, there are only a few known to exist.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 19.
Anglo-Japanese armchair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Made by Wm.A & S.Smee. (original metal label)
Circa 1880.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 20.
Anglo-Japanese armchair.
Made by Wm.A & S.Smee.
Circa 1880's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 21
Anglo-Japanese cane armchair.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Made by William Watt.
Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 22
Anglo-Japanese upholstered armchair.
Circa 1875.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 23
A set of 4 Anglo-Japanese rush seat chairs.
Designed by E.W.Godwin.
Made by William Watt.
See Susan Soros, Secular Furniture page 125.
Circa 1877-80.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 24
Anglo Japanese Chaise Lounge.
Design attributed to E.W.Godwin
Made by Collinson & Lock.
Height 27", Length 66", Depth 24 1/2". Circa 1870's.
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 25
An Anglo Japanese Rosewood table.
Design attributed to E.W.Godwin
Probably made by Collinson & Lock
The reeded top above a Japanesque fretwork frieze on four bowed end supports, with a reeded and stepped centre lower shelf flanked by a Japanesque fretwork under tier.
This table shows inspiration from both Japanese & Chinese designs, Chinese hardwood furniture played a crucial role in Godwin’s Anglo Japanese designs & he is known to have owned Chinese furniture as well as Chinese accessories (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 44-48)
The bowed legs are very reminiscent of two designs from tables in a sketchbook from 1876 and 1881 (Elizabeth Aslin, E.W.Godwin page 79) and again on a design for 3 cabinets in c1878 and c1885 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, pages 218 &236).
The complicated fretwork is reminiscent of a design for a sofa by Collinson & Lock (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 109) a table in 1873-75 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, pages 157) and an armchair the design attributed to Godwin for James Peddle in 1881 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, pages 132).
The reeded detail is identical to a chair design in William Watts Art Furniture Catalogue c1885 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, pages 266) a chair attributed to Godwin c1875 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 137) and a couch attributed to Godwin and made by Collinson & Lock c1872-75 (Susan Soros, Secular Furniture, page 106). Godwin also incorporates the stepped lower shelf in many designs.
Circa 1870's.
£SOLD.
33 in.(84cm.) wide; 27¾ in.(70.5cm.) high; 19¾in.(50cm.) deep
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GODWIN EX - 26
An Anglo-Japanese ebonised display cabinet.
Attributed to Edward William Godwin.
Made by William Watt.
This is the actual cabinet that is illustrated in The Secular Furniture of E.W.Godwin on page 214 fig 341. If you look carefully at the illustration one can see a little damage to the left hand corner just where the top meets the main body there is a little white mark in the photograph which is on this cabinet (picture 9) also there is a slight split to the right hand side just below the carved half Chrysanthemum which is also on this cabinet (picture 9) & the front right hand leg has a chip off the front again also on this cabinet (picture 10 & 11) proving that this is the actual cabinet which was photographed in 1973 & as stated in the book where abouts unknown. A wonderful original documented piece.
Circa 1870's.
Height 56", Width 32", Depth 14 1/2".
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 27
Anglo-Japanese folding screen With original Japanese silks.
Attributed to E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by Collinson & Lock.
Circa 1870's.
Height 62", Width of each part 33", Width fully open 99", Thickness 1 1/4".
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 28
Anglo-Japanese folding screen With original Japanese silks & bevelled glass.
Attributed to E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by Collinson & Lock.
Circa 1870's.
Height 53", Width of each part 20 1/2", Width fully open 82", Thickness 1" .
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 29
Anglo Japanese ebonised purdonium
Attributed to E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt.
The square sectioned gallery top and moulded shelf supported on fine angle brackets and square section uprights, the lower part with a moulded top above a cupboard with a fretted brass pull, the central panel with carving and oriental fretwork with embossed Anglo-Japanese style leather or paper behind, the whole on tapered legs united by stretchers on gilt metal and porcelain castors.
Circa 1870's.
Height 43", Width 16", Depth 15".
£POA.
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GODWIN EX - 29
Anglo Japanese Armchairs.
Attributed to E.W.Godwin.
Probably made by William Watt.
Last image from Susan Soros. The Secular Furniture of E.W.Godwin page 128.
Circa 1870's.
£SOLD.
Height 43", Width 16", Depth 15".
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