The Kedleston Hall 'Withdrawing Room' Card Tables
John Linnell (1729 - 1796)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1765
Materials
Fustic(?), amaranth, kingwood, mahogany, holly, oak, gilt brass, baize
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
NT 108606
Summary
A pair of gilt brass mounted, marquetry and parquetry inlaid fustic (?), amaranth and kingwood concertina action card tables, by John Linnell (London 1729-1796). Commissioned for the 'Withdrawing Room' at Kedleston Hall by Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale circa 1765.Each with a hinged four piece veneered top inlaid with floral scrolled cartouches and bell flower drops, the central motif centred by a flower head paterae, cross banded and lined with a baize playing surface. The inlaid fluted frieze centred by a further paterae and bell flower swags, the square section tapered legs with applied gilt brass swags and gilt brass sabot to the feet, below inlaid fluted collars.
Full description
It was Robert Adam who recommended a pair of card tables for the 'withdrawing Room' instead of the more usual console tables for the window piers. He wrote to Lord Scarsdale on 1st September 1761 suggesting these or tables for China tea. The tables could easily be moved into the room and opened for card games when required. Linnell supplied a very similar pair of concertina action card tables to the Duke of Northumberland for Alnwick Castle in 1765, executed in satinwood and rosewood (?) and with the French Neo-classical brass mounts to the legs. A pen and wash design for a similar pier table by Linnell, circa 1765 is in the V&A collection (E.175.1929).See: Kirkman & Hayward 'William & John Linnell' London 1980 for further discussion on the Linnell workshops and Kedleston.Fustic is an unusual timber rarely used in English cabinet making. A commode (NT959737) of 'yellow wood' was supplied by Thomas Chippendale Snr. to Sir Rowland Winn for Nostel Priory in 1770. Although these veneers have not been analysed they appear identical to those on another commode at Aske Hall, Yorkshire. Fustic is a relatively small tree growing 16-23 ft in height so only small sheets of veneer were available hence the four section veneering on the top of the card tables. Fustic shares similarities in grain and colour with satinwood and mulberry and can often be mistaken for either and vice versa. For further discussion see: Bowett, Adam 'Woods in British Furniture Making 1400-1900' London 2012.With the advent of neo-classical furniture styles in the second half of the 18th century, the demand for brightly coloured woods led some furniture makers to use fustic. 'A parcel of ebony, fustick and red wood' was among the stock in trade of William Linnell's cabinet workshop when the probate inventory was taken in 1763, and there was also a large plank of 'fustick' in the joiners shop. It is quite plausible that these were used by John Linnell when he took over his father's workshop.James Weedon (May 2018)
Provenance
Commissioned by Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale in c.1765 for the Drawing Room at Kedleston Hall, made and supplied by John Linnell, London. Purchased in 1987 by the National Heritage Memorial Fund from Francis Curzon, 3rd Viscount Scarsdale (1924-2000). On loan to the National Trust from the National Heritage Memorial Fund 1987-1988. Purchased by the National Trust in 1988 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
Makers and roles
John Linnell (1729 - 1796), cabinetmaker
References
Hayward and Kirkham, 1980: Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham. William and John Linnell, eighteenth century London furniture makers. London: Studio Vista in association with Christie’s, 1980. Dictionary of British and Irish furniture makers online (1660-1840) FHS 2017 Bowett, Adam 'Woods in British Furniture Making 1400-1900' London 2012