Beschreibung:

A George IV mahogany low cabinet or low bookcasepossibly by John Taylor or after his designs Circa 1830, with reeded mouldings and lotus-leaf, honeysuckle and rosette carved decoration, the superstructure comprising a scrolled brass galleried shelf on four stiff-leaf wrapped S-scrolls and stepped end bays, with a triple panelled mirror-inset back, over one long and two short mahogany and cedar lined frieze drawers, with a central open bay below enclosing two slides, flanked by two brass interlaced wire-work inset doors enclosing two shelves, interspersed by four foliate clasped scroll corbels, on roundel feet, 192cm wide x 55cm deep x 141cm high, (75 1/2in wide x 21 1/2in deep x 55 1/2in high)FootnotesA design by John Taylor for a closely comparable low cabinet to the present lot features in Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, with an introduction by E. Joy, 1989, Woodbridge, p. 136. Although dated therein to 1850, it is also noted that this specific drawing is far more typical of ones illustrated in Taylor's earlier work, Upholsterer's and Cabinet Maker's Pocket Assistant. And even though it is clearly not known when this particular compilation was produced, there seems to be a suggestion that it was most likely published in circa 1825, Ibid, p. xxiii. After a period working in the London firm run by the renowned George Oakley John Taylor established his own business near Covent Garden which was an area celebrated for its historic association with cabinet makers and cabinet making generally. Between 1821 and 1824 Taylor contributed various designs for the collaborative Repository of Arts originally compiled by Rudolph Ackermann Taylor's eclectic range of designs and fusion of different styles meant that his output had its own distinctive aesthetic. Despite this fact, he is primarily documented as an 'upholsterer', Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, p. xxiii.