A Late 19thC Renaissance Revival Carved Limed Oak Sideboard; Ex Maple & Co
Origin: Possibly Scandinavian
Period: Late Victorian & Earlier
Provenance: The collection of Charles George Weight, thence by descent & acquired from Maple & Co. Ltd., Bournemouth, October 1946
Date: c.1870 & earlier
Height: 39.5”
Width: 83.5"
Depth: 28”
The large late nineteenth century Renaissance style carved and limed oak sideboard or buffet, at almost seven feet long and probably utilising earlier timbers, the moulded top with gallery back above four cupboard doors, each carved in high relief with biblical scenes between figural pilasters, enclosing drawers, shelves and a cellarette, the whole on an ogee plinth raised on ten squat bun feet and from the collection of Charles George Weight, thence by descent to the vendor. Acquired from Maple & Co. Ltd., Bournemouth, October 1946.
In good all round order, she is serviceable and all of the drawers and doors work as intended. There is one key provided which locks the two cupboards to the flanks, being Hobbs & Co locks. The original receipt is on the underside carcass (as photographed). She is in three parts for manoeuvrability: base, carcass and top. The finish is in good order with some wear to the extremities and some marks to the top as photographed.
Charles George Weight (1914-2010) was the son of Charles A. Weight who took over the Briton motor company at its new site at Chillington Fields, Wolverhampton, producing motor vehicles until 1929. As a young man starting out in life, Charles Jnr., found employment with the wireless radio company A.J.S. before joining his father's firm which, by then, primarily sold motor spares and tools to engineering companies.
Charles persuaded his father to purchase the entire stock of Tractor Traders Ltd., which he sold out of spare buildings at the Chillington site, a venture which grew well, helped along by the Ministry of Defence's preparations in the run up to the second World War. What would become a multinational enterprise, with Tractor Spares Ltd. at its core, specialising in tracked vehicles with customers throughout the globe, earned Charles and his family a significant fortune but one that demanded diligent hard work as well as the ability to spot an opportunity when it arose.
In 1946 while visiting Bournemouth in Devon, Charles happened to see a beautiful dining suite with matching settee in the premises of Maple & Co. on St Peter's Road. On hearing the price of the suite of £1500 (the equivalent of over £50,000 today) he offered £1000 which was haughtily declined. Evidently, however, the Maple staff reconsidered and accepted Charles' offer, excluding the settee, and the suite was delivered to his home, Enderby, near Wolverhampton. According to Charles's memoirs, the settee from the suite found its way to the Brazen Head Pub in Dublin and was seen there in the early 1990s but its subsequent whereabouts are now unknown.
The suite was believed to have had connections with Scandinavian royalty, perhaps on the enthusiastic suggestion of Maple & Co., which led its erstwhile owner to research the history of furniture making in this region. However, the construction of the sideboard, table and chairs would indicate that while the carving bears similarities in that it is all of broadly Renaissance revival in form and motif, it is likely that the sideboard, chairs and table were separately made but latterly brought together and given a 'limed' surface treatment to unify it as a suite, perhaps in the early 20th century, which will undoubtedly have contributed to thoughts of Scandinavia. Most likely late 19th century in date, it is possible that the carved panels in the sideboard are earlier.
A stunning and unique statement piece which is both wonderfully useful and knockout decorative.
