AN IRISH REGENCY ROSEWOOD AND BRASS INLAID CHIFFONIER, the...

Estimate

€8,000 - €12,000

AN IRISH REGENCY ROSEWOOD AND BRASS INLAID CHIFFONIER, the superstructure with a pierced three-quarter gallery, the marble top with a reeded edge, fitted with three frieze drawers with open shelves below, between shaped rope-twist sides and spiral-reeded columns on bun feet, probably Cork, bearing John Dooly & Sons, Dublin trade label, 118cm high, 109.5cm wide, 38cm deep Provenance: Christies, London, 1996 The Rex Britcher Collection, lot 675 In the foreword to the 1996 catalogue of The Rex Britcher Collection at Christie’s, London, the late Desmond Fitzgerald, the Knight of Glin wrote a brief but fascinating note about the history of the market for Irish antiques in twentieth century Dublin. It was a happy hunting ground for many British dealers and collectors who were attracted by the rich pickings in the Irish trade. The previous owner of this Regency chiffonier Rex Britcher, after his army career and world travels in the late 1940s, often visited Ireland in the company of his friend, George Furlong. George Furlong was the Director of the National Gallery of Ireland from 1935 to 1950, and was known for his exceptional eye for paintings, and numerous fine acquisitions were made during his tenure in Merrion Square including Gentileschi’s David and Goliath, Castiligione’s The Finding of Cyrus, a large Crespi and the only known painting by Passeri. Notwithstanding that, the board declined some important contemporary paintings such as a Gauguin, a Monet and a Roualt much to Furlong’s chagrin. However the final straw was in 1950, when they turned down Murillo’s Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, and which was immediately bought by the National Gallery in London, that Furlong tendered his resignation and prompted his permanent move to London. The two friends had a fine house in Thurloe Street, where their many treasures were displayed to great advantage. Amongst their many artistic and literary friends who enjoyed their company were Lady Fingall, Senator Ned Maguire, John and Putzel Hunt, Norah McGuinness, Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West. The present lot, with a Dooly of Dawson Street, Dublin trade label, and presumably purchased directly from them, sports a Connemara marble top, turned supports and brass banding of oak leaves. The Knight noted that this banding is exactly similar to the decoration on a lyre supported card table in a collection in the south-west of Ireland, and suggests that it was probably from a Cork manufactory. He opined that the inlay and a predilection for turned, and rope decorated detailing seemed to be very characteristic of Cork workshops