with applied ormolu mounts, the serpentine tops inlaid with an oval thuya wood panel, with two short and two long mahogany lined drawers on splayed bracket feet

Almost certainly supplied to George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham (1755-1813) for Stowe House, Buckinghamshire;
Thence by descent.

Related Literature
Michael Bevington, Stowe House, London, 2002.

Overall in good conserved condition. The colour of both have areas which have suffered from sun damage notably to the top of one which also has significant scratches from use. The gilt-brass mounts have signs of tarnishing and may benefit from a clean according to taste. The reverse of one with an old label from Newton and Sons, Soho. Both commodes have signs of re-veneering to the rear corners of each return. With old marks and scratches commensurate with age and use. One commode has signs of small spattering of dirt to the left return which would benefit from cleaning.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Described as the largest and most completely realized private Neo-classical building in the world. Stowe House in Buckinghamshire has its origins in a mansion first built in 1677 by Sir Richard Temple. However, it was his son who succeeded in 1718, John Temple, later Viscount Cobham, that turned the house into what we see today. Cobham was responsible for the re-building of the house – commissioning the great architect Sir John Vanbrugh to create the two fronts, the galleries and the end pavilions which are now integral to the building. The house and collection continued to grow under the stewardship of subsequent generations of Grenvilles – eventually rising to the Dukedom of Buckingham. The present tables and commodes were almost certainly commissioned by Viscount Cobham’s grandson, George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1755-1813), during his expansion of the collection.

Although a fiscally careful man, the Marquess of Buckingham did not shun expense in what he considered good, or useful, causes. He was generous to family and friends, and, in common with his contemporaries, he believed that a great family demanded great houses. He commissioned John Soane to rebuild two houses in Pall Mall as one, Buckingham House, and he largely completed the magnificent renovation of Stowe begun by his uncle. The renovations at Stowe included numerous additions of fine furniture and paintings to suit the grandeur of Soane’s interiors and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s landscape. Stowe remained in the Grenville family until 1921, however, the debts accrued by the 2^nd Duke of Buckingham led to the monumental Stowe House sale in 1848. Fortunately, the catalogue remains intact and accessible and through research it is clear that the present lots w💛ere not part of the sale but were kept by the family and have since been passed down to the present owner.

Conceived in the French tasওte, with their richly figured quarter-veneered tops and friezes, inlaid with brass, ormolu mounts and boldly drawn cabriole form, these important tables and commodes can be attributed to the workshop of John Cobb (c.1770-1780). In the first half of the 18th century, most Englishmen accepted the cultural and fashionable primacy of France. By 1735, the St Martin's Lane Academy was introducing Régence and early Louis XV designs to artists and craftsmen and until 1744, England was at peace with France, traditionally her arch-rival. This important and long period of peace facilitated England's initial acceptance of French, and specifically Rococo, designs.ꦍ Despite the political and cultural obstacles between England and France of the mid-18th Century, notably the Seven Years War of 1756-1763, the enthusiasm for French fashions in England continued unabated. Most craftsmen seem to have been oblivious to the contradiction between patriotism and their work, despite the efforts of Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694 - 1753) and William Kent (1685 - 1748) to introduce an 'English' style, based on a robust interpretation of Palladio's designs. The Rococo, on the other hand, besides its fashionable 'French-ness', held a more practical attraction for designers and craftsmen in that by its very nature, it was more labour-intensive than the sober English 'Kentian' style: designers were often able to charge more for their work.

The son-in-law of the London cabinet-maker Giles Grendey and backed by William Hallett, Cobb was considered one of the finest cabinet makers of the second half of the 18^th century. In 1751 he entered into partnership with the Royal cabinet-maker William Vile, which continued until Vile's retirement in 1764. Following Vile's retirement and in contrast to the work done during his tenure (See lot 25) - the firm was renowned especially for marquetry furniture and for furniture which clearly reflects a French style, as seen in the present lots. Cobb was also well known for his arrogant and sometimes alienating manner; J T Smith a contemporary commentator notes that Cobb was ‘one of the proudest men in England’ and would ‘strut through his workshops giving orders to his men in full dress of the most superb and costly kind’. Following Vile’s retirement Cobb continued to create fine furniture in both England and France for clients including 6^th Earl of Coventry at Croome, Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill and the Marques𓆏s of Buckingham at Stowe.