A MAGNIFICENT GEORGE II VIRIDIAN LACQUER BUREAU CABINET OF BOMBÉ FORM PROBABLY BY GILES GRENDEY

June 12 2009, 12:10pm

English. Circa 1730. This magnificent and beautifully detailed bureau cabinet belongs to a group of closely related cabinets either labeled by or attributed to the celebrated London cabinetmaker Giles Grendey (1693-1780). Of rare viridian color, with its profuse colored opaque glazed highlights and exceptionally bold architectural form, it ranks among the finest works in lacquer by any maker of the first half of the 18th century. The designs and execution of Grendey's lacquerwork are very distinctive, often employing parades and close groupings of figures, animals and foliage, and using subtle layers of modeling in his raised work to achieve depth of perspective. The scene on the fall-front depicting a dignitary on horseback followed by attendants is a theme used by Grendey on a number of occasions. Furthermore the present bureau cabinet is almost identical in design to the walnut bureau cabinet of bombé form formerly in the Hochschild Collection and strongly associated with Grendey.