A Regency period rosewood sofa games table attributed to Gillows of Lancaster

A Regency period rosewood sofa games table attributed to Gillows of Lancaster; the top with rounded ends covered in the original distressed leather, with a central reversible chess board which can be removed to display a backgammon board beneath, the frieze with a dummy drawer retaining its original gilded handles and decorated with ormolu mounts; having elegant lyre ends raised on outswept legs terminating in acanthus cap castors. English, circa 1815.

Provenance: Hermione Countess of Ranfurly

The Countess of Ranfurly was the author of ‘To War with Whitaker’ her memoirs of life in Cairo with Eisenhower.  Her husband was the 6^th Earl of Ranfurly and the Governor General of Bahamas between 1953 and 1956.

Footnote: The design for a rosewood sofa table in the sketch book of 13 April 1813, made for John Gladstone of Liverpool, father of the future Prime Minister, is published in Susan E Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, 2008 Vol I, p.265, pl. 270.  When the firm made the ‘sofa backgammon table, to suit the above’ (p267, pls 272 and 273) no expense was spared.  With the extra tooled morocco leather for the interior backgammon board, the additional labour for that and inlaying the chess board and the 85 feet of brass beading at 3d per foot (as opposed to the 69ft on the sofa table) this version of the table, at £19 4s. 5d, cost a full pound more to produce. Sadly, there is no record of the sale price asked of Mr Gladstone.

Read our Gillows Blog here – The Furniture of Gillows and their design records