Five to buy in a mammoth two day auction held by Dreweatts full of interior design ideas

Take this pair of George III satinwood, purpleheart and rosewood oval Pembroke tables attributed to Gillows c.1780. They were previously owned by Nelson Rockefeller and were sold at Christie’s New York in October 2010. They were hammered then at $48,000.

The tables, unusual as a pair, come back to auction as part of the furniture and works of art sale on March 29 with a guide of £6000-10,000.

These fine quality tables represent a rare survival as a pair. Occasional tables with drop leaves are said to have been dubbed ‘Pembroke’ tables after the architect and courtier, Henry Herbert, the 9th Earl of Pembroke.

Earlier examples in the popular taste of the earlier 18th century tended to have squarer flaps, but by the 1770s Robert Gillow was advising his customers that an oval shape was the height of fashion. The square legs terminating in castors and rich golden satinwood are characteristic of his work, as are certain elements of ornament: Gillows wrote to a customer in 1780 that “plain satin wood card tables [...] will not look well unless they have some banding & stringing of other sorts of wood to set ‘em off”.

A very similar table to these can be seen at Tatton Park in Cheshire, one of the best surviving Gillows interiors.

The tables are featured here as part of a selection of five ideas on what to buy at the Dreweatts two-day auction on March 29-30.

Go on campaign

Estimated at £1500-2000, this Victorian teak and brass bound secretaire campaign chest is by T White & Co and dates to the mid-19^th century. The secretaire fall front drawer encloses a leather writing surface and fittings, the chest in two parts, the secretaire drawer with a brass inset label T. WHITE & Co MAKERS ALDERSHOT, the back with a printed and ink inscribed paper label SPENCER BROS FIREPROOF DEPOSITORY Brownlow Street, Liverpool Col Fisher.... It measures 1.09m high, 99cm wide, 46cm deep. You can bid for the Victorian teak and brass bound secretaire campaign chest on thesaleroom.com.

 

Mirror, mirror...

The George III carved giltwood oval mirror shown here dates to c.1765 and measures 1.19m high, 70cm wide. It is estimated at £3000-5000. Check out the George III carved giltwood oval mirror on thesaleroom.com

Ottoman influence

Estimated at £800-1200 is this Ottoman mother of pearl and tortoiseshell inlaid wooden chest, 19^th century or earlier, 59cm high, 1.27m wide, 52.5cm deep. See the Ottoman mother of pearl and tortoiseshell inlaid wooden chest on thesaleroom.com.

Pick a book

Also attributed to Gillows, c.1825, is this George IV rosewood ‘waterfall’ open bookcase. The panel doors open to a shelved interior and it measures 1.3m high, 79cm wide, 31cm deep. The estimate is £1500-2500. Bid for the George IV rosewood ‘waterfall’ open bookcase via thesaleroom.com