Henry Hill Of Marlborough George III Serpentine Mahogany Commode

A fine George III Serpentine Mahogany Commode, Firmly Attributed to Henry Hill of Marlborough with wonderful original colour and patina.

English Circa 1770

Of outstanding colour and patination, this fine commode is of serpentine shape, highly influenced by the French models of the late rococo period but with a very English sensibility. It is veneered throughout in mahogany of exceptional figure, the veneers bookmatched across the drawer fronts for additional visual impact. The veneers on the top of the piece are especially well figured and have aged beautifully. The commode consists of three drawers with a brushing slide above, standing on curving feet which come directly from the stiles as is usually the case on commodes of this form.

The commode is firmly attributed to the fine maker Henry Hill of Marlborough. Active from around 1741 until his death in 1778, Hill had a wide-ranging clientele, certainly not merely restricted to the local area as was the case for many provincial makers. His clients included Baron Methuen of Corsham Court, the Hoare family at Stourhead and the Talbot family of Lacock Abbey but he also provided large amounts of furniture to the Delavel family for their London townhouse (their principal seat being Seaton Delavel Hall in Northumberland so no obvious Wiltshire connection). This commission included related commodes, relevant to the present piece, and the surviving correspondence between patron and maker discussed all of the various options that were available in terms of shape, woods and finishing options. A related commode was also supplied to Maiden Bradley, seat of the Dukes of Somerset, both of these commissions dating to the early 1770s.

Hill's career has been unusually well recorded and the names of many of his apprentices are known as well as records of his work as an auctioneer and upholsterer. It is this model of commode, and a related model of Pembroke table, however, that are regarded today as Hill's trademark pieces and examples of each have been in some of the most important private collections worldwide. In 2007, Bonham's chose a related model of commode attributed to Hill as their cover image for their sale of Fine English and Continental Furniture, 20th of November of that year. The piece made just under £25,000. In 2010, a closely related commode, with additional ormolu mounts, sold at Christie's on the 22nd of October for $64,900 in New York and another, from an interior created by the great interior decorator Robert Kime, made £18,750 on the 23rd of July 2020. Other commodes attributed to Hill are illustrated in numerous important reference books. Dr Lucy Wood has written extensively on Hill's output, particularly in her Catalogue of Commodes in the Lady Lever Art Gallery. In addition, a commode now believed to be by Hill features in F. Lewis Hinckley's A Directory of Antique Furniture, fig. 602, and a further example was exhibited by the dealer Trevor Antiques in the Fanfare For Europe exhibition, held in 1973 to celebrate Britain's entry in to the EU.

The metalware on this commode is also particularly noteworthy. The handles with their floral back plates are an especially fine model, beautifully cast, chased and gilded. The same backplates occur on another commode attributed to Hill sold at Christie's on the 20th of November 1986, lot 173. The handles on this commode, however, had different bales. What is particularly interesting on our piece is the very fine pattern of small handles used on the brushing slide. These appear to be identical to those used on the inner drawers on the Osterley Park lacquer secretaire supplied by Thomas Chippendale to the Earls of Jersey

https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/771939

The fact that Hill was apparently utilising sophisticated London-quality metalware on his finest pieces being very interesting indeed.

This commode is an example of a sophisticated design that is pleasing to the eye, made with the finest quality materials.

Importantly this commode has remained in Wiltshire for all of its life, in outstanding untouched country house condition, seemingly very likely indeed to have been bought directly from Hill in the 1770’s and handed down the generations before being acquired by us from a source in that area. It has the finest possible patina and original surface and, as such, will appeal to all connoisseurs and collectors of the highest quality English furniture.

Dimensions
Width 42 1/2 inches - 108cm
Height 32 1/2 inches - 83cm
Depth 25 1/2 inches - 65cm