A substantial late George III mahogany breakfront serving ta...

Hammer

£1,500

A substantial late George III mahogany breakfront serving table, almost certainly Tatham of London, early 19th century; the top with broadly crossbanded outer border, above four stylised lion headed monopodia, with jaws agape and trailing tongues, above paw feet; the two octagonal section back legs with fluted lower sections; above a concave fronted shelf with reeded edges, (previously on feet, now missing); 85cm high, 290cm wide, 104cm deep NOTE: Founded in the 1780s,Tatham & Bailey's premises at 14 Mount Street in Mayfair later manufactured furniture for the Prince Regent's household and the Royal Pavilion. The partnership was originally between George Elward and William Marsh, with Edward Bailey joining the firm in 1793 and Thomas Tatham (brother of the designer C.H. Tatham) in 1798. From 1803 to 1811 the firm styled itself 'Marsh and Tatham' or 'Tatham and Bailey'. Having toured Italy for three years, Tatham published the tremendously popular and influential 'Etchings of Ancient Ornamental Architecture drawn from the Originals in Rome and Other Parts of Italy...' between 1799 and 1800. He was certainly responsible for the introduction of what were to become ubiquitous Regency motifs, such as the lion headed monopodium. An almost identical, but smaller serving table by Tatham in the dining room at Southill Park, Bedfordshire boasts four highly corresponding monopodial front legs, as well as twin octagonal and partially fluted back legs. Indeed the serving table there would be highly instructive to anyone wishing to replace feet onto the current example offered. PROVENANCE: Weir Park House, Exeter, Devonshire. Built for Admiral Sir John Duckworth in 1804, the house and estate were sold to the Exeter Golf and Country Club in 1929, with some furnishings apparently included in the sale. The table, then purchased by the current vendor in a later dispersal.