GEORGE III MAHOGANY GLOBE CASE

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GEORGE III MAHOGANY GLOBE CASE

62,500.00€

A George III mahogany globe case, being an extraordinary, and likely unique master piece of the 18th English furniture maker’s art, its grand scallop shell shaped compartment is skillfully composed of thick pieces of pure mahogany, while the case it designed to house a normal midsize globe; the con sequence of an expensive bespoke commission, it is a striking oeuvre from the height of British Metropolitan Culture, when such items reflected the wealth, social status and cultural sophistication of their owners.

An ovoid casing of carved pure thick mahogany in the form of a scallop shell with an acanthus leaf stem and rounded base with beaded edge, upon a rectangular mahogany veneer pedestal, opening in even halves, with a contemporary brass lock near it midpoint and metal brackets at its inner base (Very Good overall, minor surface abrasions to pure mahogany scalloped casing and old holes at top presumably made by the point of globe, some remains of what appears to be 20th century papier mâché to inside compartment, some later internal repairs to the stem, pedestal with some surface cracking and small loss to veneer and a vertical crack though underlying wood on one side but integrity still holding firm; lock lacking its key), height: 98.5 cm; maximum width (of scalloped globe compartment): 48 cm externally, internally 44 cm; pedestal 27.5 cm high. NOTE: Globe Not present.

Additional information

1 in stock

Description

England, last third of the 18th century.

 

This George III mahogany globe case is an extraordinary, and likely unique item, a stellar oeuvre from the historical height of British Metropolitan Culture. Hand crafted in England during the last third of the 18th century, the grand scallop shell shaped compartment, that was to house the main part of the globe, is made of pure thick pieces of mahogany, very skillfully carved and composed into such an elegant and elaborate shape. This being the result of a very expensive bespoke commission for an unusually challenging endeavour by a master craftsman.

The globe case is just shy of a metre high and was designed to house a globe with a maximum width of just under 44 cm, so being a normal midsized globe. Its artistic (as opposed to utilitarian) nature indicates that the globe case was intended a decorative piece to be displayed (with its globe) in the salon or library of a sumptuous London townhouse or a grand country manor.

The globe case was clearly commissioned by a sophisticated, wealthy client, who was in tune with the prevailing trends of the British Metropolitan Culture of the 18th century. The era produced an unprecedented demand for unusual and finely craft ed goods that reflected the owner’s affluence and social status, and which were often made of exotic and expensive materials from Britain’s burgeoning overseas empire. Of these materials, Mahogany, normally sourced from Jamaica, and later from Belize, was the gold standard material for Georgian furniture. The trade the in the wood reached its height in 1788, when Britain imported 30,000 tons of mahogany. While mahogany veneer became ubiquitous in the homes of Britain’s upper sets, pure mahogany was reserved for truly choice pieces.

Large 18th century globe cases of any kind are all oddities, and we are not aware of the existence of any cases that in any way approximate the appearance of the present work. A few institutional collections possess large contemporary globe cases of a very different style and nature. For example, Colonial Williams burg holds a globe case made by William Bardin
(1740 – 1798) of London, that houses two globes within rectangular compartments. Yet, the examples of other globe cases of which we are aware are not comparable, as they seem to be of utilitarian designs (made for storage or transport), while the present globe case is artistic and presentational at its essence.

References: N/A – Globe Case seemingly not recorded.

* We do not cover import fees or customs fees for this item if sold outside the EU.

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