Important Furniture and decorative arts Page 1.
IP 8
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), a cypress wood and brass writing cabinet, formerly green stained, with cut-out stylised foliate hinges, the drawer with conforming handles, the base with two shelves, 159cm high, 96cm wide, 45cm deep Provenance: by descent from the relatives of James Guthrie. This writing cabinet was consigned to McTears, Auction House in Glasgow, together with a collection of items, as part of a house clearance, including silver, brassware with 'Guthrie' stamped in bold writing onto two separate chargers, two watercolours and an oil painting by Guthrie. This secretaire and a sideboard, both part of this consignment, were both made from cypress wood and designed by Mackintosh. For similar see Kaplan, Wendy (editor) 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh', pl. 159. opposite p. 233. The original furniture Mackintosh designed for Guthrie & Wells was made from cypress wood and stained green and of simple construction. This is the same with the present lot and one can see in the image that behind the hinges the original green stain is still as vibrant as the day it was applied. The keyhole escutcheons are exactly the same as on the linen press which has candle sconces to each side that Mackintosh designed for John Henderson, one of the earliest known surviving pieces he designed. The back treatment of this present lot is the same and has just three wide boards which run from the top right to the floor. The side treatment is also from the top straight to the ground quite typical of Mackintosh but very rare on any other pieces of furniture from the late Victorian period. For this see Kaplan, Wendy (editor) 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh', p. 232, fig 160 and Billcliffe, Roger 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The Complete Furniture, Furniture Drawings, & Interior Designs', p.34, fig. 1895.6. The metalwork is identical on some pieces and so very similar on others, see the Billcliffe work above, p. 33, fig. 1895.2 and 1895.3 for washstand and dressing table handles. The hinges on all these pieces are actually hinges as opposed to fake applied plates and the hinged ends are formed identically. On the sideboard that came from the same property, i.e the Guthrie relatives, the hinges are identical and the small detail to the bottom centre of the sideboard is identical to the drawing illustrated in Billcliffe, p. 34, fig. 1897.7. That detail is also on a number of other pieces by Mackintosh (see Billcliffe, as before, p, 36, fig. 1896.1, fig. 1896.2, fig 1896.6 and fig. 1896.8. The form and style of this writing cabinet, undoubtedly in his hand, with the floral brass hinge, which mirrors the fretwork flowers to the sides, is almost identical to the roses that the stylised women are holding on the stencilled decoration he designed for Buchanan Tea Rooms in 1897. For this see Kaplan, Wendy (editor), as before, p. 81, fig. 45 and Billcliffe, as before, p. 40, fig. 1896.11). He also uses a flat top on quite a number of other cabinets and pieces of free standing furniture, again, like the present lot. Taken from an e-mail correspondence on 14/01/09 between Tony Geering and Peter Trowles, MLitt., FRSA, Mackintosh Curator, Archives and Collections Centre, the Glasgow School of Art. 'I think your bureau has all the attributes to link it to a Mackintosh-related piece. The underlying green stain, simple case construction and choice of ironmongery are all strong pointers plus youÆve got the Guthrie provenance'
£POA.
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IP 9
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (attributed) a Glasgow School green stained cypress wood and glazed bookcase, with bullion glazed doors with arched upper details and pierced brass hinges and square cut-out lock plates, 126cm high, 127cm wide, 34cm deep The bookcase has much in common with the above lot, made from cypress wood with stylised brass hinges that are certainly in the same style as much of Mackintosh's work at this time. The lock plates with square cut-out details are also common in much of Mackintosh's furniture and interiors and would particularly point to him. This bookcase was also purchased in Glasgow in 2009. The pattern of the bullions are assymetrical and flow through the doors. In the top two central panes, the glass is longer to fulfil the design.
£POA.
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IP 10 - A rare & Important sidetable designed by Phillip Webb & made by Morris & Co with a shaped & moulded top with 6 turned legs all united by subtle turned upper side stretchers & lower radiating stretchers with wavy shaped bottoms precisely joined at the centre. The underneath of the table top is as beautifully made as the rest of the table with a complicated array of flat supports for the legs which also hold the top firmly together stopping any shrinkage or joint separation & the ends of these are finished with precise chamfered edges. A beautifully made table with wonderful proportions, an early design classic of museum quality showing the true beginnings of the Arts & Crafts Movement.
£SOLD.
Circa 1880's.
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IP 11
Sir Edward John Poynter, PRA (1836-1919)., charcoal & chalk on Sepia board, original frame. Signed with initials lower left. Circa late 1800's. Picture Height 8" x 7" the frame measures Height 13 3/4" 19cm, x 13" 17.5cm. £POA.

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IP 12 - Ambrose Heal. A stunning Laurel wood glazed bookcase designed by Sir Ambrose Heal in 1929 from the signed series edition, the label inside the lower door is signed by Ambrose Heal's own hand & I also have the original Heals & Son label when I presume it was exhibited at Heals which reads :- No. D39A5Y, 36" Laurel Inlaid Bookcase & at the bottom it has NOT FOR SALE all written in ink. The sculpturally shaped top with 5 circular inlaid Abalone details & 2 diamond shaped Abalone inlays all united by beautiful Ebony string inlays with 14 further Abalone inlaid diamonds 7 to each door & Ebony string inlay & Ebonised detailing to the outer edge of each door & to the inner glazing bars & all the glass has a wonderful Green tinge to it & fully adjustable shelves inside. The sides in the middle also have 4 more Abalone inlaid diamonds in Ebony Squares, 2 to each side. The bottom section breaks forward with 2 side by side slides for choosing your books each has an ivory handle & is flanked with Abalone diamonds set into Ebony squares & corresponding Abalone inlays to the very centre & to each end side of each slide. The cupboard doors below with further Ebony string inlays around each of the 4 panels per door & around each door edge. This is certainly an important historic piece to be signed by Ambrose himself.
There is an advert by Heals showing a water colour of this bookcase in Victorian & Edwardian Furniture & Interiors by Jeremy Cooper page 224 (last image). & formerly owned by the Fine Art Society, stock number 13562.
Height 78" 194cm, Width 36" 92cm, Depth 18 1/2" 47cm. Circa 1929.
£SOLD.
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IP 13
George Washington Jack for Morris & Co., a figured mahogany, chequer and line inlaid secretaire bookcase, with astragal glazing and serpentine shelves, the drop-down writing area with original inset leather flanked by canted inlaid stationery doors, further conforming inlays to the lower cupboard doors, on shaped plinth conforming to the inlaid details throughout, stamped ‘Morris & Co 449 Oxford St’. See Sotheby’s with Paul Reeves ‘The Best of British Design from the 19th and 20th Centuries: The Selling Exhibition’, p.107 for a comparable example.
Height 78 1/2" 200cm, Width of cornice 50" 133cm, Depth of cornice 18 1/2" 46.5cm.
£SOLD.
The last 3 images are of an almost identical variation of this secretaire bookcase at Standen a superb Vernacular house in East Grinstead designed by Phillip Webb for J.S.Beale in 1891 with many original period Arts & Crafts features & original Morris & Co furniture, fabrics & rugs & is now a showhouse for William Morris items, interiors & other originals from the Arts & Crafts Movement & original lighting by W.A.S. Benson. This fine domestic Revivalist house is now owned by the National Trust & open for viewing.

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IP 14
Philip Webb (1831-1915) for Morris & Co., a rare mahogany sheet music or folio stand, circa 1880. See Sothebys with Paul Reeves ‘The Best of British Design from the 19th and 20th Centuries: The Selling Exhibition’ London 14-20 March 2008, PR 69 A similar whatnot can be seen in an 1879 photograph of the Morris & Co. shop window at 449 Oxford Street.
Height 5' 152.2, Width 18" 46.5cm, Depth 15" 46.5cm.
£POA.
The Walnut armchair in the picture is attributed to EW Godwin & made by James Peddle in 1881, see Anglo Japanese & Aesthetic Movement chair page.
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IP 15
A stunning & pure Arts & Crafts oak settle designed by Edgar Wood of superior quality & design. A precision engineered architectural work of Art with 3 protruding through tenons to each side joining the seat to the impressive sensual organic elongated bird like details to the sides. One can see the settle in the last image to the right taken from the "Special Summer Number of the Studio" "Modern, Domestic Architecture & Decoration 1901. Length 6', Height 68", Depth 18".
£SOLD.
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IP 16
A wonderful water colour by George Logan titled Butterflies. George Logan was one of the most prolific designers for Wylie & Lochhead working alongside John Ednie & EA Taylor. He designed furniture & some of the best interior schemes with radical modern Glasgow Style furniture for the company. Approx Frame Height 26", Approx Frame Width 12. Circa 1905. £POA.
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IP 17 An outstanding pure Arts & Crafts 3 fold Walnut screen depicting 3 scenes of 3 Saints & dragons with exceptionally skilled carving & intricate detail. The rich polychrome enamel colours bring this master piece vividly to life. The first scene is of St Michael slaying the Dragon & a tall flower to his left with flames lashing out from a cave I presume from the dragons mother within, then what looks like St Andrew the fisherman training or blessing baby dragons by the sea with a Galleon anchored just a little way out to sea & then finally St George upon his horse with the Dragon as if he has been mastered laying beside him as a pet would & with a castle in the background. The back has Gilt crosses within circles on a Green background. By Jennifer Edwards, 11/11/2007. This is very intriguing work of Art & a piece I am researching, it is quite possible that this is a rare Morris & Co piece, the polychrome colours & carvings are quite reminiscent of the work Morris & friends did at the Kensington Museum. If anyone could help with this then I would happily gift them a reward fitting that information. Many thanks Tony. The three folds of the screen form a triptych with each picture telling its own story but the whole portraying a far more important and broader narrative. Left Fold I think that this is definitely St Michael. The figure has the spear and sword (but no shield as is usual) and the dragon is shown under his foot – a typical stance. He is clothed in armour; this is usually chain mail but that might be very difficult to carve in hard walnut. He appears young and handsome as portrayed in Renaissance art. His holiness is accentuated by his head and halo lying in front of the green border unlike the top of his wings which lie behind. The dragon is large compared with those in the other scenes. It represents the Devil and the combined evil as enemies of God; that could account for its size. It is an old dragon: Satan is no longer young. The scene is taken from Revelations 12:7-9 The flower is not an attribute of St Michael as such. It looks quite like the way a lily is often depicted in medieval paintings. The lily depicts chastity and purity and, as such, is therefore associated with the Virgin. It is often shown as an attribute of the Archangel Gabriel because of the connection with the Virgin at the Annunciation. This is not Gabriel – too militant. However, there is a possible link with St Michael in that it could be a sapling of the Tree of Knowledge. St Michael instructed Eve to plant a branch of this on Adam’s grave. It grew, was transplanted by Solomon into the garden of the Temple and (quite a bit later in the story) was fashioned into the Cross on which Christ was crucified. This could account for the small gold cross in it centre. It acts as a link between St Michael and the Church. The Tree of Knowledge represents good and evil (Genesis 2:9) as does St Michael killing Satan. Right Fold The thirteenth century book, ‘The Golden Legend’ by Jacopo de Voragine, tells the story of St George. A terrible dragon was dominating the land around Slena, in Lydia. It lived in a marsh close to the town and a lake. The population sent human sacrifices to appease him. St George happened to be riding by when a young maiden, who was the daughter of the king, was about to be eaten by the dragon. He made the sign of the cross and was therefore empowered and able to slay the dragon. The King and town inhabitants were so impressed that they all converted to Christianity and were baptised. Once again, the dragon represents Evil and his slaying by St George is the triumph of good over evil or Christianity over paganism. There is another tree possibly depicting both good and evil. The picture shows the city walls and the lake in the background. St George wears a white tunic for purity and his helmet is of middle-eastern style of that time. He came from Capodocia in Turkey. Centre Fold This is the most interesting of the three paintings. I think that the figure represents Christ as a young man possibly at the time of His first temptation. Having been in the desert for 40 days and nights, He was tempted by the Devil (dragon) to turn the rocks into bread and so break His fast. However, there is not much in the picture to be so specific about such an episode. It could just portray Christ giving the benediction to the dragons/demons representing evil. He carries a staff as the Good Shepherd and has sandals on His feet. He appears to be clothed in blue which symbolizes Heavenly love and He is depicted wearing this colour while on earth. His seated position is one often used when He is preaching to a small group. The ship is an iconographical symbol for the Church; the early Christian fathers likened the Church to a ship in which the faithful found safety and were carried to salvation. St Ambrose was the first to liken the Church to a ship with the mast appearing as the Cross. This is very clear in this picture. I do not think that it has anything to do directly with the Miracle of the Fishes or Christ walking on water. There is another tree which again represents the Tree of Knowledge, a mix of good and evil, and Christ’s later crucifixion. It is close to the figure so relates to it closely. Alternatively, it could be an olive tree which, because of its fruitfulness with oil and olives, represents the bountifulness of God towards His believers. The dragon appears to have several heads and tails; it could represent a ‘multitude of evils’ instead of just Satan as an entity. Interestingly, the demons/dragons lie between the figure and the ship – this could represent the interference of the faith of the Church by the Devil by getting between Christ and His subjects. Overall I think the three pictures represent three manifestations of the triumph of God over the Devil or/and of Good over Evil. Each picture is painted in strong primary colours. Blue represents Heaven and heavenly love; green the colour of spring and the triumph of spring over winter. It is very interesting that the sky is gold in each of the paintings because this is the sign of divinity and indicates the sacredness of what is depicted. Thus, the sky acts as a sacred backdrop to the scenes in the foreground as well as the haloes indicating the sanctity of the individual figures. The dragons are interesting in that they appear to be multi-headed and multi-tailed with wings. Evil can be represented by dragons, demons or snakes. Some of the dragons here appear to be hybrids. There used to a fabulous depiction of evil called the basilisk. It was supposed to be half cock and half snake but I have seen a drawing of one which looks exactly like the dragon in the centre picture. It used to be an accepted medieval symbol of the Devil or Antichrist and could kill at a glance. It was originally mentioned in the Book of Psalms. St Augustine included it in his four aspects of the Devil which were downtrodden by the triumphant Christ. The basilisk was well established in the Middle Ages but not used as a symbol in the Italian Renaissance so is not found very frequently. Ideas about Age and Origin of the Screen As a piece of furniture I am not qualified to identify the screens age. However, it does seem to be an extremely interesting and (I would guess) valuable piece because of its uniqueness. I have not been able to find another that is remotely like it in any books I have researched. I think it could be an important work. The following are just a few ideas, thoughts and suggestions (in no particular order): The use of walnut is interesting in that it could have been used for a wealthy client such as a church or senior clergyman. I would think that it was certainly made as a one-off for a client who lived in a Victorian-Gothic pile or an ecclesiastical setting. That would tie in with the richly decorated back and all the crosses. The topics of the paintings are in a medieval style of polychromed bas-relief carving. The subject matter implies a Catholic patron. This is not a Church of England piece – too many devils and too much iconography. There was a marked upsurge in Catholic furniture after the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829. many new catholic churches were built with associated presbyteries etc. – all requiring furniture N.B. This interpretation has drawn on: Ferguson, George ‘Signs and Symbols in Christian Art’ (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1961) ‘Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art’ (Murray: London, 1979) De Voragine, J., ‘The Golden Legend’, (Penguin: London) Height 179cm, each panel 70cm wide. £POA. Click on pictures for larger version

IP SOLD
A.W.N.Pugin. An outstanding oak centre table designed by Augustus Welby Pugin & almost certainly made by firm John Gregory Crace. Height 30 1/2", Width 52", Depth 52". Circa 1847. £SOLD.
See The Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, page xxvi for an identicle but carved version designed by Pugin for Abney Hall which is now in The Victoria & Albert Museum. Last 2 Images.
Provenance: Another similar table with drawers but the identicle base was sold at Bonhams Chester & also formerly at Abney Hall, Cheadle, Cheshire. Under the patronage of Sir James Watts, a textile wholesaler and Lord Mayor of Manchester, Abney Hall was remodelled as a private home with reception rooms designed & decorated by Pugin & Crace in the 1850's. The decorative scheme was completed in 1857. Prince Albert during a visit to Manchester described the hall as 'a most princely mansion'. Abney hosted many other important people including Edward VII, Disraeli, Gladstone & E.M Forster. The reclusive Agatha Christie visited Abney when it was in the possession of her brother-in-law & wrote two novels there, 'The Tale of the Christmas pudding & After the Funeral'. The hall became known Cheadle Town Hall when it was sold to the local council in 1959. This uncarved version without drawers is actually more true to Pugins later designs which were simpler & less elaborate & in those respects more important because of the purity within Pugins designs in his later years before he became insane & died at only 40 years of age in 1852.
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IP SOLD
A monumental stunning Gothic Revival Oak breakfront bookcase attributed to E.W. Pugin & possibly from Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire of superior quality with wonderful proportions, an amazing work of Art, a real hybrid in the true Gothic Revival taste & certainly a commissioned piece. The cornice with castellated mouldings & 3 glazed upper sections each with twin doors with stylised iron strap hinges & castellated iron handles with drop down ring pulls, the doors double pegged at each corner joint & when opened the inner door has a female groove all round with a male bead protruding from the carcass which when the doors are closed fits snugly into each other a quality detail to protect important books from air & atmosphere shown in the 2nd from last image, with 4 original adjustable shelves (not shown) per section all with Gilt leather dust flaps. The 3 section cupboards below with stylised linen fold carved details to each door (an almost identical detail used in The New Palace of Westminster) with corresponding metalwork & graduated flaring base. The side Linenfold carved panels to the lower ends are different to the fronts. This bookcase was designed to hold important books & I purchased it from the North of England from a dealer who had purchased around 20 years ago in Liverpool from a sale of furniture believed to have come from Scarisbrick Hall. Circa early 1870's. Height 8' 8", Length 12' 6", the top depth in the centre section is 14 1/2" & 11" deep to each side section. The base depth is 18 1/2" to the centre section & 15" deep to each side section. £SOLD.
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IP SOLD
A Beautiful charcol picture painted by George Logan called Lady with Roses, George Logan was one of the most prolific designers for Wylie & Lochhead working alongside John Ednie & EA Taylor. He designed furniture & some of the best interior schemes with radical modern Glasgow Style furniture for the company. Frame Height 18 3/4", Frame Width 18 1/4, Picture Height 8 1/2", Picture Width 8". Circa 1900. £SOLD.
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