A Ladies Dressing Table Made by the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. of London for His Highness Nawab of Bahawalpur Sadiq Muhammad Abbasi V

Object Description

Constructed in mahogany in the form of a kneehole desk with a modesty screen, rising from Chippendale style carved bracket feet, the banks of pedestals fitted with lockable faux drawers to the left, concealing a safe, and drawers to the right, fitted with ormolu chased swan neck handles; the lockable and hinged panelled top rising to reveal an adjustable triptych bevelled dressing mirror, with provisions for a pair of scallop shaded electrical lights, and having an enclosed body, fitted with an array of cut glass unguent bottles, all with silver tops, Hall marked for 1929/30, enamelled with an Art Deco design, and bearing wonderfully detailed portraits of His Highness in regal dress, on all the accoutrements deemed necessary for a lady. His Highness married Linda Begum (nee Linda Florence Sayce) daughter of Horace Lewis Sayce of Hyderabad, in 1927, who died in 1933, by whom he had four sons and a daughter, and the dressing table was a present befitting a Nawab. London made, Circa 1930

Object Literature

The company began trading in 1880 as the ‘Manufacturing Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Ltd’ with extensive premises, covering a quarter of an acre, at 112 Regent Street, having been established by William Gibson and John Langman, who had their marks registered at both the London and Sheffield Assay Offices. In 1889 they acquired Mappin Brothers, followed by the acquisition in 1893 with the Goldsmiths Alliance (A B Savory & Sons), further acquiring Garrard & Co (established in 1725, the Crown Jewellers, a title bestowed on the company by Queen Victoria in 1843) in 1952.
In 1959 Mappin and Webb took over the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company Ltd. The company had participated in International exhibitions in the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition of 1876, Paris in 1889 and, 1900, winning the Grand Prix prize, with William Gibson being made a chevalier of the Legion d’honneur.

Object Condition

Excellent condition

Object Details