THE DITCHLEY PARK MIRROR, English: circa 1765
A highly important mid 18th century Chippendale period carved giltwood overmantle mirror attributed to William and John Linnell. Retaining most of the original mirror plates and conceived in the chinoisery style, with a central trellised pagoda with pierced canopy and mask cresting, and further little platforms for similar use amongst a frame of winding vinestock and rocks. Hung with floral swags and cabochon ruffle decoration crested by a pierced basket with floral swags and flanked by carved pendent and bells.
This extraordinary mirror relates to a drawing for a very similar mirror by John Linnell for Badminton House also having a central pagoda with canopy and platforms for China display. A virtually identical mirror, part of the Irwin Untermeyer collection is exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Provenance
Probably commissioned by Thomas Thyne, 3rd Viscount Weymouth, 1st Marques of Bath for his house in Hill Street, London.
Ronald Tree and Nancy Lancaster for Ditchley Park, Oxfordshire 1940’s.
Ronald Phillips, 2004
Mallett, 2005.
Literature
Helen Hayward, The Drawings of John Linnell in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Furniture History, 1969, fig.142
Helen Hayward, Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 18th century furniture makers, London, 1980, Vol II, p.94, fig 181
Yvonne Hadenbrook, English Furniture with some furniture of other countries in the Irwin Untermeyer Collection, Cambridge MA, 1958, p.143, fig 172.
Lanto Synge, Malletts Great English Furniture, London 1991, p.15, fig 105.
Illustrated:
A water colour by Alexander Serebriakoff with the mirror in Ditchley Park, 1950
Ronald Phillips, Reflections of the Past, Mirrors 1685 – 1815, London 2004, p.171
Jeremy Garfield – Davis. “The English Ornamental Looking glass”, The Magazine Antiques, October 2005, p.153, pl IV.
