Regency Rosewood Bonheur du Jour attributed to John McLean
ENGLAND, CIRCA 1815
112.5 x 80.5 x 47.5 cm
44 ¼ x 31 ¾ x 18 ¾ in
44 ¼ x 31 ¾ x 18 ¾ in
614a
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Provenance
with H. Blairman and Sons c. 1985Literature
Frances Collar, Regency Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, 1985, illustrated p. 147
The rosewood bonheur du jour with boxwood stringing and gilt brass beading, lion mask ring handles and anthemions; the brass gallery superstructure topped with brass urns finials, the upper sections...
The rosewood bonheur du jour with boxwood stringing and gilt brass beading, lion mask ring handles and anthemions; the brass gallery superstructure topped with brass urns finials, the upper sections with two drawers over a secretaire frieze drawer, lined with cedar with an adjustable leather lined writing slide and pen and ink compartments, with a brass-galleried shelf below. supported by turned tapered legs with brass ring decorations, raised on brass castors.
John McLean and Son (1770-1825) had workshops at Upper Terrace, Tottenham Court Road and 34 Marylebone Street, Piccadilly, and was mentioned in Sheraton's list of cabinet makers in the Cabinet Dictionary, 1803. Redburn writes 'McLeans firm advertised that it specialized in 'Elegant Parisian Furniture', although the six surviving pieces which bear their trade labels are undoubtably English. However, they owe much to Gallic influence not only in their design, but in their lavish use of metal mounts...' (Simon Redburn “John McLean & Son.” Furniture History, vol. 14, 1978, p. 33.) Redburn illustrates a bonheur du jour by McLean of very similar form with a shaped lower shelf with similarly pierced brass gallery; he also details the variety of gilded brass mounts which McLean commonly used. Egg and dart and guilloche moulding and a gallery with columns and urn finials can be seen in plates 44a-c which closely match the form of the mounts on this piece.
McLean supplied patrons such as the almost complete furnishing of Middleton Park, Oxfordshire for George Villiers, fifth Earl of Jersey and his wife, Lady Sarah Fane, heiress of Robert Childe owner of Osterley Park., and Edward Lascelles for Harewood House. Pieces not documented but attributed to the firm are recorded at Grimsthorpe Castle and Harewood House. Four pieces by or attributed to the firm are in the National Trust Collections at Saltram, Devon and Kingston Lacey Estate, Dorset and a bureau bookcase is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Accession no. W.10:3-1944). A related bonheur du jour by Mclean from Tom Devenish: The Collection, Sotheby's, New York, 24 April 2008, lot 178 sold for $37,000 including premium and another was sold anonymously Sotheby's, 3 December 2013 (£25,000 including premium).
John McLean and Son (1770-1825) had workshops at Upper Terrace, Tottenham Court Road and 34 Marylebone Street, Piccadilly, and was mentioned in Sheraton's list of cabinet makers in the Cabinet Dictionary, 1803. Redburn writes 'McLeans firm advertised that it specialized in 'Elegant Parisian Furniture', although the six surviving pieces which bear their trade labels are undoubtably English. However, they owe much to Gallic influence not only in their design, but in their lavish use of metal mounts...' (Simon Redburn “John McLean & Son.” Furniture History, vol. 14, 1978, p. 33.) Redburn illustrates a bonheur du jour by McLean of very similar form with a shaped lower shelf with similarly pierced brass gallery; he also details the variety of gilded brass mounts which McLean commonly used. Egg and dart and guilloche moulding and a gallery with columns and urn finials can be seen in plates 44a-c which closely match the form of the mounts on this piece.
McLean supplied patrons such as the almost complete furnishing of Middleton Park, Oxfordshire for George Villiers, fifth Earl of Jersey and his wife, Lady Sarah Fane, heiress of Robert Childe owner of Osterley Park., and Edward Lascelles for Harewood House. Pieces not documented but attributed to the firm are recorded at Grimsthorpe Castle and Harewood House. Four pieces by or attributed to the firm are in the National Trust Collections at Saltram, Devon and Kingston Lacey Estate, Dorset and a bureau bookcase is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Accession no. W.10:3-1944). A related bonheur du jour by Mclean from Tom Devenish: The Collection, Sotheby's, New York, 24 April 2008, lot 178 sold for $37,000 including premium and another was sold anonymously Sotheby's, 3 December 2013 (£25,000 including premium).