A REGENCY MAHOGANY EBONISED AND PARCEL GILT WRITING TABLE

A highly important and fine quality early 19th century mahogany ebonised and parcel gilt writing table in the manner of Thomas Hope, having a rectangular crossbanded top with rounded corners and green leather insert above a frieze with two drawers to the front and dummy drawers on the reverse and at each side, retaining the original leopard head ring handles and fitted with Bramah locks to the font; the sides decorated with pendent wings; on ebonised parcel gilt crossed leopard head monopodia with gilt acanthus clasp ties, joined by a turned stretcher with central gilt block.
Note: The design for a closely related stool is published in Thomas Hope’s ‘Household Furniture and Interior Decoration’ of 1807.

Literature: Thomas Hope, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1807, pl. XII.
Margaret Jourdain, Regency Furniture, 2nd revised edition, 1949, p.124, fig 130.
Brian Reade, Regency Antiques, 1953, fig 10.
Percy Macquoid Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, revised edition, 1954, vol. III p.262, fig 54. Major S. Whitbread, Southill-A Regency House, n.d, illus.42.
Illustrated:
Margaret Jourdain, English Decoration and Furniture of the Later 18th Century, 1760-1820, 1922, p.238, fig. 378. ‘The Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair Handbook’, 1996, p. 271.