A Wonderful Pair of Display Cabinets Firmly Attributed to Jackson & Graham of London

Object Description

Constructed in ebony, with extensive highly detailed ivory inlays and finely cast and chased bronze and brass dressings. Of rectangular gentle breakfront form, each rising from four inverted tapering square section collared legs, having conjoining incurved undertiers; over, shaped aprons, inlaid with foliate festoons frame the glazed vitrines, having central lockable doors, the locks being marked ‘IMPd Patent Lever’, are housed within vertically inlaid Corinthian capped columns; the stepped platforms conformingly inlaid. The fascia panels over have centrally situated carved busts of a male and female in the neo-renaissance manner.

This object incorporates old ivory and has been registered with Defra.

Object History

The firm of Jackson & Graham established in 1836 by Thomas Jackson and Peter Graham at 37 Oxford Street London, and for the next fifty years produced predominately high quality furniture and represented Britain at many of the international exhibitions, including Vienna 1873. Their clients included Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, the Grand Khedive at Cairo and the royal palace in Siam. They were particularly noted for their fine marquetry work, the use of Wedgwood plaques, ivory inlay, rare woods, and fine casting of bronze mounts. They engaged the leading designers of the period, inter alia, Owen Jones, Bruce Talbert, Alfred Lorimer and Eugene Prignot. In the mid 1850’s the workforce was recorded as 250, and by 1875, the company was employing 600 workers. They were feted exhibitors at many of the Great Exhibitions of the Nineteenth century, and frequent prize winners. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1878, the furniture jury noted of them ‘the workmanship is so perfect that even with the aid of a magnifying glass scarcely the slightest imperfection is to be found’. In 1885 the company was absorbed by Collinson and Lock, who continued their standard of excellence.

At the Great Exhibitions of London 1862, and Paris 1878, pieces were shown, with designs by Talbert, and Lorimer, having stylistic affiliations to our pieces.

Object Condition

Excellent

Object Details