Dining Chairs Attributed to Alexander Peter

Probably purchased by Sir Ernest Salter Wills for the Chinese Room at Littlecote House, we have a set of six Scottish George III mahogany dining chairs, dating to circa 1760. 

The chairs are attributed to the Edinburgh furniture maker Alexander Peter (fl. 1713-1772). This is based upon the fret-carving pattern on their legs which corresponds exactly with the set of dining-chairs supplied by Peter to the Earl of Dumfries for Dumfries House in 1759.

By this time Peter was already long-established in Edinburgh. His clients included the Earl of Islay (1733), the Duke of Gordon (1738), Lord Doune (1734-37), the Earls of Hopetoun (1744-1764) and the Earl of Breadalbane (1745 & 1754), while furniture attributed to him can be found at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and at Gosford House. However, his reputation rests largely upon his commission for Dumfries House. 

An Arras Tapestry by John Henry Dearle for Morris & Co.

John Henry Dearle (1859 -1932) was a British textile and stained glass designer who started work as a shop assistant in his late teenage years at Morris & Co. Under William Morris personal tutelage he went on to work in the stained-glass studio in Queen Square and then as his tapestry assistant. Dearle designed many of the later wallpapers and textiles released by Morris & Co and contributed background and foliage patterns to tapestry designs featuring figures by Edward Burne-Jones and others. Following Morris's death in 1896, Dearle was appointed Art Director of the firm, and became its principal stained glass designer on the death of Burne-Jones in 1898. He managed the company's textile works at Merton Abbey until his death in 1932 and designed over 30 patterns for wallpaper and 40 for textiles as well as carpets and stained glass. His most famous designs include Golden Lily, Seaweed, Compton, Sweet Briar, Anemone, Artichoke, Daffodil and Iris. 

From the Littlecote collection, where it hung in the Drawing Room, we have this Arras tapestry by Dearle for Morris & Co. It was woven by John Martin at the Merton Abbey Tapestry works in 1916. Depicting deer by a river, it features a banner with a quotation from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Brook'. This design would seem to be a natural extension to his earlier design from 1892 "Greenery" - a larger triple length tapestry with the same Verdure design incorporating deer.

Side Chairs Attributed to Giles Grendey

The collection also features a set of five George II walnut side chairs, which correspond closely to the large body of work attributed to the Clerkenwell workshop of Giles Grendey (1693-1780). Each is variously stamped with the initials 'TT' and 'ID'.

Grendey was unusual in that numerous pieces from his workshop bear his trade label and many also the stamped initials of his journeymen. The initials `TT' and `ID' are both previously recorded, the former on a pair of red and gilt japanned chairs that were part of the extensive suite of furniture supplied by Grendey around 1735 - 40 for the Lazcano Castle in San Sebastian, Spain.

Grendey established a large workshop in St. John's Square, Clerkenwell in 1731, trading until at least 1755, and serving both domestic and overseas markets. He is known primarily for seat furniture, predominantly in walnut but also japanned and mahogany. He counted Richard Hoare at Barn Elms; Sir Jacob Bouverie at Longford Castle; Henry Hoare at Stourhead; and Lord Scarsdale at Kedleston Hall, among his patrons. However, it is the extensive suite of japanned furniture he supplied for Lazcano Castle - with more than 77 items in total, including seat furniture, mirrors, card table, candle stands and secretaire-cabinets - which stands as his most important commission, representing one of the most important groups of English 18th century furniture, with pieces in major museums worldwide.

The present chairs were likely purchased by Sir Ernest Saleter Wills for Littlecote House, where they were situated in the Long Gallery.

An Assembly of Birds by Jacob Bogdani

Jacob Bogdani (1658–1724) stands among the most celebrated still-life painters of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career spanned the artistic centres of the Netherlands and England, where he secured commissions from the highest ranks of British nobility and royalty.⁠

We are delighted to present this magnificent work by Bogdani, depicting a resplendent assembly of birds animated within an idyllic parkland landscape. Rich in colour, texture and theatrical composition, the painting exemplifies Bogdani’s virtuosic handling and his extraordinary sensitivity to plumage, light and movement.⁠

Born in Hungary, Bogdani settled in Amsterdam in 1684, initially painting austere groupings of fruit in the Dutch tradition. There he encountered the work of the celebrated bird painter Melchior de Hondecoeter, whose influence would prove transformative. Following his move to London in 1688, Bogdani’s career flourished. He received important commissions from Queen Mary II, William III of England and the Duke of Devonshire, among others. Under the patronage of George Churchill, he was invited to study and paint the many exotic species of birds in his aviary at Windsor’s Little Park, deepening his fascination with avian subjects and cementing his reputation as one of the foremost painters of birds in Britain.⁠

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