George Bullock (d. 1818)
‘Tray-shaped’ Inkstand, circa 1815, ENGLAND
Rosewood and brass, with glass
4.5 x 35 x 23 cm
1 ¾ x 13 ¾ x 9 in
1 ¾ x 13 ¾ x 9 in
7240
Further images
Provenance
Private collectionLiterature
Wainwright, et al., George Bullock: Cabinet-Maker, London, 1988, no. 24 (for a discussion of ‘tray-shaped’ inkstands)Designs for details of inkstand, Wilkinson Tracings, unbound numbers 242b and 249 respectively. (City Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham.)
Rosewood and brass inkstand with intricate scrolling floral and clover première-partie buhl work. Divided into six decorative cross patonce inkwell holders, complete with two matching glass inkwells. Designed and manufactured...
Rosewood and brass inkstand with intricate scrolling floral and clover première-partie buhl work. Divided into six decorative cross patonce inkwell holders, complete with two matching glass inkwells.
Designed and manufactured by George Bullock, one of the finest cabinetmakers in regency England. Bullock’s inkstands were noted for the richness of their tracing designs and were favoured by distinguished patrons such as Queen Charlotte (1744 – 1818). Bullock produced multiple variations of the inkstand and designs for this particular one can be found in the Wilkinson Tracings in Birmingham City Archives. Bullock produced similar styles of inkstands in materials such as tortoiseshell, ebony and ivory and surviving examples can be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Art Boston, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Tray shaped inkstands such as this one are held in several notable private collections.
All known examples of the present model are constructed in the same way, with three parallel fillets at each corner, holding the sides in place, and leather under the bases (Levy, M., H. Blairman & Sons).
Buhl:
Buhl work comprised of elaborately decorative inlay, usually in brass or pewter, applied as a veneer to fine objects and furniture. French Boulle marquetry and its revival in Regency England as ‘buhl’, became highly fashionable due in large part to the passion of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) for all forms of French decorative art. André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732) developed and perfected the intricate form of marquetry at Versailles. He enjoyed the patronage of Louis XIV, and his masterpieces adorned the French royal palaces, representing the splendour and luxury of the court of the Sun King.
After the fall of Napoleon, British collectors of French boulle furniture including the Prince Regent and the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) employed agents to buy on their behalf from the Paris auctions. In Britain, the demand for intricate buhl inlay saw the emergence of a limited number of ‘manufactories’ specialising in buhl work or craftsmen that could be classified as ‘good buhl cutters’, that is, those able to ‘design and cut their own patterns from engravings and other sources’, and such craftsmen were based solely in London.
Designed and manufactured by George Bullock, one of the finest cabinetmakers in regency England. Bullock’s inkstands were noted for the richness of their tracing designs and were favoured by distinguished patrons such as Queen Charlotte (1744 – 1818). Bullock produced multiple variations of the inkstand and designs for this particular one can be found in the Wilkinson Tracings in Birmingham City Archives. Bullock produced similar styles of inkstands in materials such as tortoiseshell, ebony and ivory and surviving examples can be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Art Boston, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Tray shaped inkstands such as this one are held in several notable private collections.
All known examples of the present model are constructed in the same way, with three parallel fillets at each corner, holding the sides in place, and leather under the bases (Levy, M., H. Blairman & Sons).
Buhl:
Buhl work comprised of elaborately decorative inlay, usually in brass or pewter, applied as a veneer to fine objects and furniture. French Boulle marquetry and its revival in Regency England as ‘buhl’, became highly fashionable due in large part to the passion of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) for all forms of French decorative art. André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732) developed and perfected the intricate form of marquetry at Versailles. He enjoyed the patronage of Louis XIV, and his masterpieces adorned the French royal palaces, representing the splendour and luxury of the court of the Sun King.
After the fall of Napoleon, British collectors of French boulle furniture including the Prince Regent and the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) employed agents to buy on their behalf from the Paris auctions. In Britain, the demand for intricate buhl inlay saw the emergence of a limited number of ‘manufactories’ specialising in buhl work or craftsmen that could be classified as ‘good buhl cutters’, that is, those able to ‘design and cut their own patterns from engravings and other sources’, and such craftsmen were based solely in London.
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