A Highly Important Carved Stained Lime Wood Barometer Made for Sudbury Hall in the Late Baroque Manner by J. Braund

Provenance

Supplied to Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire

By descent until sold by the Right Hon. Lord Vernon at Sotheby’s on the 9^th of February 1923, lot 116

Steam Mill Clocks where described as ‘Without doubt this is the finest stick barometer I have ever seen from the Victorian period which has remained in the most wonderful, original and undamaged condition’.

Literature

Advertised in Country Life, 3^rd of February 1923 in a Sotheby’s preview

The Braund Society Journal, Issue 154, September 2020 ‘John Braund’s Barometer’

Executed in carved lime wood, this piece features a central allegory of the winds, represented by four putti breathing heavily, surrounded by strapwork, foliate and shell and swag carving which runs the length of the case and is present on the fine cistern cover. This piece is truly a carver’s masterpiece and must have taken countless hours to design and create.

This truly extraordinary barometer comes from the collections of the Lords Vernon at Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire. When sold in 1923 at Sotheby’s, it was described as

‘A very fine William and Mary walnutwood barometer, elaborately carved with scrolls, foliage and cupids, the thermometer and barometer by J. Braund, London’.

Sudbury Hall is one of the country’s finest 17^th century houses and was the home of the Vernon family for generations. Now owned by the National Trust, one of the house’s distinguishing features is a series of documented wood carvings by the great Grinling Gibbons, supplied in 1678

https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/652745.3

The present barometer has affinities with the style of work favoured by the master, hence its being accepted as a 17^thcentury piece by Sotheby’s in 1923. The maker of the piece, J. Braund of London, is also intriguing. His name has not been found on any other barometers but John Braund is an important name in the 19^th century decorative arts scene. Braund seems to have worked both as a designer and retailer of furniture and as an architect. He exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and also produced a series of images, later reproduced as prints, detailing the exhibits on display there. A table either designed or retailed by Braund, and dated 1839, is known to survive and his architectural work was produced for a small circle of wealthy and influential connoisseurs. It is likely that Lord Vernon was one of these people and commissioned a barometer that would blend in perfectly with the late baroque furnishings of his extraordinary home.

The identification of this piece as the Sudbury Hall barometer was made possible by its inclusion in a Sotheby’s advert in Country Life in advance of its sale. As was typical at the time, the Sotheby’s sale catalogue itself was not illustrated but, thankfully, the piece was photographed for inclusion in the advert as illustrated below.

The Vernon family, like so many others, was badly affected by the combination of death duties and the increased burden imposed by the First World War and the effect that this had on availability of servants. As a result, several sales of both land and chattels were necessary in the 1920s, this fine piece being the only one from the family offered in this particular sale in 1923 and again highlighting the importance of the piece.

We are delighted to be able to offer this exemplary barometer with important provenance to our clients.