Coxed and Woster George I Burr Maple Secretaire Chest and Cabinet

No: 412N

An incredibly rare early 18th. Century Burr Maple, Rosewood and Pewter inlaid Secretaire-Chest and Cabinet bearing the makers label for Coxed and Woster.

Dr. Bowett – “This secretaire-chest and cabinet bears the trade label of Grace Coxed and Thomas Woster who managed the White Swan workshop in St. Paul’s Churchyard between 1719 and 1735. Nine labelled pieces from their partnership have been recorded and this piece brings that number to ten. The use of stained burr maple veneers in conjunction with rosewood crossbanding and white metal stringing, although not exclusive to the White Swan workshop, occurs on about half its recorded output. Grace Coxed inherited the White Swan workshop from her late husband, the cabinet-maker John Coxed who died in December 1718 and she also continued his practice of labelling furniture. John Coxed’s will stipulated that Grace should go into partnership with his brother-in-law, Thomas Woster and under their joint management the White Swan workshop thrived until Grace’s death in August 1735. During that time the firm used three different labels to mark their output, of which this is probably the earliest version dating from c.1719-25. Two other pieces with this label are known: a walnut bureau-table in the collection at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and a burr maple desk-and-bookcase in a private collection. In the 1720’s the secretaire-chest and cabinet was still a relatively new design. Two walnut-veneered versions bearing John Coxed’s label are known and another walnut example bears one of the later versions of the Coxed and Woster label, but this is the first burr maple example to be recorded.”

Antique Dealers have for many years raved about Mulberry pieces made by Coxed and Woster. Way back in Country Life, October 2nd 1969 “The myth of the Mulberry Burr veneer”, by Edward H Pinto showed how wrong we had been and Adam Bowett went further in his researches. It is also interesting to note Stalker and Parkers treatise on “Japaning and Varnishing” where they detail how to treat Burr Maple to make it appear like Tortoiseshell.

During the late 17th and early 18th Centuries it was high fashion to have orient inspired pieces of furniture and lacquered screens, clock cases, bookcases, desks and chests were produced. This often meant importing lacquered panels from Japan and China at great expense. When Stalker & Parker published their treatise in 1688 it enabled the English cabinetmakers to produce an oriental effect at a much reduced cost. Tortoiseshell veneered pieces were much in demand so the treatise dealt with that as well advising how to produce the tortoiseshell-like effect using burr ash and burr maple treated with nitric acid etc. exactly the method used by Coxed and Woster.



Circa 1720 Price: POA
Provenance: Private Collection, Oregon, United States of America.

Height:77 ¾”196.5 cm, Width:42 ¾”, 108 cm, Depth 22 ½”, 50.7 cm.
Lit: “Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840” Christopher Gilbert, pp.153-162, pl.233-253.
“Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840” C Gilbert & G Beard pp. 205
Furniture History, The Journal of The Furniture History Society, Vol. XXXIX, 2013 ''Labelled furniture from the White Swan workshop'' Adam Bowett & Laurie Lindey pp 71-98.
''English Furniture 1660 - 1714 From Charles II to Queen Anne'', Adam Bowett, pp 224-226
''The London Furniture Makers, Sir Ambrose Heal'', pp 40-43, Illustrations: pages 31 & 229-231
''Marked London Furniture 1700-1840'' Christopher Gilbert, pp 153-162, illustrations 232-253
Country Life October 2nd. 1969 “The myth of the Mulberry Burr veneer, Edward H Pinto.
“English Furniture 1660-1714” Charles II to Queen Anne, Adam Bowett, pp 224-226, Pl 7-56 to 7-60