A George III mahogany silver table of serpentine outline Circa 1770

A George III mahogany silver table of serpentine outline Circa 1770 The shaped top encompassed by a waved gallery, above a plain frieze with canted angles, on demi-rosette and husk pendant carved hexagonal tapering legs headed with pierced scrolled and interlaced spandrels, with a channelled X-stretcher, on wooden castors, the stretcher a replacement, 90cm wide, 60cm deep, 74cm high (35in wide, 23 1/2in deep, 29in high) Footnotes: Provenance In 1948 the grandfather of the owner and vendor of the offered lot purchased the present silver table from Mallett & Son Ltd., London. In the former's untitled notebook used to record his various acquisitions from 1937 onwards, this table is listed in an entry for 8 March 1948, as an 'antique Chippendale mahogany serpentine shaped centre table, the gallery with metal rope inlaid carved tapered legs, £140'. Evidently it was bought following the advice of his neighbour, R.W. Symonds (1889-1958), since the receipt is endorsed by the latter, and it is even noted that Symonds received commission in the process. Thereafter the table passed by descent within the vendor's family. Last year it was offered Christie's, London, 23 October 2024, Collections, lot 221. The above was acquired through the counsel of the renowned furniture historian, author and connoisseur, Robert Wemyss Symonds, along with numerous pieces also purchased from other prominent London dealers of the period, including Ronald Lee, Morton Lee and Jetley. In the mid-20th century Symonds exercised a strong influence on collectors of English furniture. From 1921 to 1958, he published five significant books and numerous articles that shaped and mirrored the aesthetic preferences of his contemporaries. Among those who sought his expertise in curating their collections were Percival Griffiths (d. 1938) and J.S. Sykes, whose collections provided the majority of illustrations for his published works. Another celebrated collector advised by Symonds was Samuel Messer. Symonds placed great importance on original patination, harmonious design, as well as high quality carving and timber. In contrast to many modern collectors who prioritise provenance, Symonds focused primarily on the intrinsic qualities of the furniture itself, valuing its merit regardless of any notable history either attached to or associated with it. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing