Height: 93.70 in (238 cm)
Width: 47.24 in (120 cm)
Depth: 23.62 in (60 cm)
Made for export to the Portuguese Royal Court, this magnificent gilt-gesso secretaire cabinet is arguably one of the finest and most important surviving pieces of English furniture made in the eighteenth century. The cabinet is attributed to the Royal cabinetmaker James Moore, who is most notably remembered for his giltwood furniture, partially because a series of signed works exist in the royal household from his most renowned commissions. The incredible craftsmanship of this brilliantly worked cabinet reflects the work of the finest artisans for what was almost certainly a noble or royal patron.
The cabinet was originally made as a pair and was almost certainly destined for the Portuguese Court during the reign of King Dom João V (r.1709-1750), perhaps for the king himself or one of his closest courtiers.
A full essay and history is available upon request on this outstanding piece of furniture.
L. Synge, Great English Furniture, London, 1991, p. 52.
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
‘Noticia verdadeira do ornato, que se vio nas cazas de Madre Soror Paula Maria’. Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa, manuscript - BNL, F.4640 - published in Guimarães, J. Ribeiro, Summario de Varia Historia, 1872, pp. 67-70.
C. M. Dias, Cartas de Lisboa. Primeira Serie, 1905, p. 109.
J. A. Proença, Mobiliário da Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves, 2002, p.183.
R. W. Symonds, 'A Royal Scrutoire', Connoisseur, June 1940, pp. 233-236.
R. W. Symonds, ‘English Gesso Furniture’, The Antique Collector, vol. XXVII, August 1956, p. 140.
‘A Golden Cabinet’, Mallett Spring Catalogue, London, 2003, pp. 6-13.
T. Murdoch, ‘The king’s cabinet-maker: the giltwood furniture of James Moore the Elder’, Burlington Magazine, vol. CXLV, 2003, ill. 8, p. 410.