Research:
Of gilt brass. The rectangular fretted book rest supported on a stem of joined foliate S-curves, raised on a conforming tripod base.
Provenance:
Acquired from Mallett, Bourdon House.
This fine gilt-brass lectern is likely of English origin and, as such, is a rare example of this size and medium at this date. The distinctive foot of the stand is of typical English form, and may be compared to other furnishings of the period such as the bases of candlestands illustrated by Thomas Chippendale in his Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director of 1754. “By the end of the eighteenth century England had grown to be the greatest brass manufacturer in the world, and English brass was supreme,” with Bristol and Birmingham as the centers of the industry. Furnishings in brass during the Georgian era “attained their highest level of artistic excellence.”
Full research report available on request.