Lot 376 , Edward William Godwin (1833-1886) - a rare ebonised mahogany display cabinet, c.1872-75, width 6ft 1.5in., height 4ft 11.5in., 13in. de
Edward William Godwin (1833-1886) - a rare ebonised mahogany display cabinet, c.1872-75, probably manufactured by Collinson & Lock,
the upper section with 'floating' counter-balanced glazed door above a pair of glazed doors with reeded glazing bars, flanked by asymmetric shelving with lattice cresting rail, on eight legs with six square tapered brass sabots, width 6ft 1.5in., height 4ft 11.5in., 13in. deep
Estimate £15,000-25,000
Provenance:
The vendor's mother acquired this cabinet from the auction of the contents of Caldecote, Hurtis Hill, Crowborough. The 1930 Kellys Directory of Crowborough lists John Glynn as the owner of Caldecote.
Literature:
This rare Anglo-Japanese ebonised mahogany cabinet was designed by the important architect and designer Edward William Godwin (1833-1886). Godwin's influence on modern furniture design should not be under-estimated. He sought to design furniture which was functional and appropriate to modern living, and experimented with modular and fitted furniture decades before it became popular in the mid 20th century. His designs were popular with leading artists and writers of the Victorian era including James McNeill Whistler and Oscar Wilde. Godwin exhibited his furniture at some of the great international exhibitions of the late 19th century including Vienna in 1873, Philadelphia in 1876 and Paris in 1878.
He worked in a number of different styles, and like the cabinet offered for sale by Gorringes, it is the pieces which he designed in the Anglo-Japanese style which demonstrate that he was a forerunner of the Modern Movement.
This ebonised mahogany cabinet was probably made by the leading London art furniture manufacturer Collinson and Lock around 1872-75. A similar mahogany cabinet stamped by Collinson and Lock is illustrated by in Susan Weber Soros' comprehensive book 'The Secular Furniture of E.W. Godwin', illus. 323 on p. 202.
The cabinet shows the influence on Godwin of Japanese designs such as the use of stepped shelving and the ebonised finish in imitation of black lacquer. The curved lattice-work back rail is reminiscent of fretwork on Chinese classical furniture and the brass sabots are a signature of Godwin's Anglo-Japanese designs.
This is a heavy and good quality cabinet which is well constructed. It has been well used by the previous owner to display items on so has some scuffing and scratching to the top and all shelves. Some of the ebonising has worn on the edges and shelf surfaces but has been sympathetically re-touched with some occasional small areas of wood showing. Seven of the applied dentils are lacking to the cornice. The upper cabinet with the counter-weighted glazed door has internal bevelled mirror panels to the back and each side. Both of the side mirror panels are most unusually double sided (being mirrored and bevelled on the exterior as well) but have bubbling and staining to the silvering which is sandwiched between the layers of glass - the left hand side is more obvious. The assymetric middle shelves on the left flank have loose joints to the adjoining uprights and have slumped slightly but this could be easily rectified by a competent restorer. The lower cabinet section has glazed side panels and has a central vertical bar between the doors. Unusually the lock plate is made o three parts - on the vertical dividing bar and on each door. A small section of glazing bar to the left door is slightly loose. The brass lock plate and sabots are tarnished. Please note the front four legs and outer rear leg have brass sabots. The two rear centre legs, which aren't visible from the front have stile feet.
Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to request a condition report on any lots upon which they intend to bid, prior to placing a bid. All transactions are governed by Gorringes Conditions of Sale.
Sold for £15,000