A George III Chippendale period mahogany tallboy, the broken pediment with pierced fretwork above a moulded cornice and frieze of blind fretwork, above two short and three long drawers, the lower part with a pagoda-carved waist moulding above three long drawers standing on the original ogee feet, retaining the original chased brass handles.
With a classical Palladian pediment, Chinese fretwork and pagoda waist moulding and French foliate handles, this tallboy exemplifies the flair and genius of mid-eighteenth-century designers who harmoniously combined the exotic styles composing the English Rococo.
This example is of particularly elegant proportions and very finely carved.
The construction of this tallboy is first rate, and the mahogany used is of a particularly high quality. It is a wonderful example of the period and would have been made by one of the leading London cabinet-makers.
The design echoes patterns found in Thomas Chippendale's Director and shows strong resemblance to the documented work of William Hallett. However, the piece aligns most closely with the distinctive style and designs associated with Vile and Cobb. Many accomplished cabinet-makers had workshop premises in St. Martin’s Lane, London, and the area emerged as the centre the London furniture trade. Vile and Cobb, who became Royal Cabinet-Makers to King George III, formed a syndicate with William Hallett in 1753 in St Martin's Lane. Thomas Chippendale and Mathias Lock were among other renowned cabinet-makers and carvers to have workshops in this area.