19th Century Colonial Bookcase for Mitchell Library

A large Australian Colonial cedar and rose mahogany breakfront…
click the photo to enlarge
A large Australian Colonial cedar and rose mahogany breakfront bookcase for the Mitchell Library, mid 19th century, the moulded cornice above stepped frieze, having three pairs of glazed doors flanked by panelled pilasters, the lower section with conforming cupboard doors on a moulded plinth base, this item is located in Perth, WA and will not be on view in Sydney. Height 288 cm, width 565 cm, depth 73 cm. provenance: The Mitchell Library, Sydney, James R. Lawson Pty Ltd. Sydney, rustic Charm Antiques, Sydney. The Estate of the late Anthony Arnold Graham, acquired from the above 1985. Bonhams Sydney, Australian, European & Asian Decorative Arts including the Colonial Sale, 25 November 2013, lot 115, acquired from the above. Other Notes: the State Library of New South Wales had its origin in the Australian Subscription Library which opened its doors in 1827. Through the first half of the 19th century this establishment occupied various buildings in the growing town and by 1845 had built its own fine sandstone building on the corner of Macquarie and Bent Streets. As befitting a temple of learning the suitably classical structure had a broad cornice supported by Corinthian pilasters with an elegant Palladian window looking to the south. Though popular, it was not a commercial success and was continually in debt so in 1869 the New South Wales Government purchased the building and books and it became the Sydney Free Public Library. Photographs from this period show a tall four-story reading room with over 20,000 volumes in simple purpose-built shelves. A further wing along the Bent Street side was added in the 1880s by James Barnet, colonial architect. By the end of the 19th century the expanding collections of the now Public Library of New South Wales had outgrown this structure, and in 1898 the incredible Australiana collection of the David Scott Mitchell bequest which came with the condition that a new library was built to house it saw the start of what is now called the Mitchell wing on Macquarie Street in 1906. The sandstone building that we see today was not completed until 1964, and the modern wing on Macquarie Street finished in 1988, this grand breakfront library bookcase may have been supplied for the Bent Street wing of the free public library and is typically of the high quality supplied to the government offices at the time. The broad cornice and the pilasters that flank the glass doors echo the architecture of the library building and provide a suitable frame for the learned volumes they house.

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  • Palladian - Andrea Palladio (1505-80), was an Italian architect and his building designs included use of pediments, cornices, lion masks, paws, acanthus leaves and swags. Palladio did not design any furniture, but his architectural elements have been carried through to furniture by other designers, the most notable of whom was Englishman, William Kent working in the first half of the 18th century.
  • Frieze - An architectural term denoting the flat, shaped or convex horizontal surface of furniture, between the architrave and the cornice, usually found on a cabinet or bookcase, or on desks and tables where it may include drawers, the area between the top and the legs. In ceramics, the term refers to the banding, of usually a repeating pattern, on the rims of plates and vases.
  • Cornice - The upper section of a high piece of furniture such as a bookcase, wardrobe or cabinet that sits immediately on the main structure. The cornice is usually decorated with a variety of architectural mouldings, worked either with a moulding plane or, from the later 19th century, by machine. The front and side of the cornice are mitred together, strengthened by glue blocks, and the back is generally a simple dovetailed rail to hold the structure together. Cornices are generally, though not always, fitted separately to the piece and are held in place either by screws sunk into the top board or by wooden corner blocks. A pediment may sit above the cornice, but sometimes the terms cornice and pediment are used interchangeably.
  • Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
  • Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

    Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
  • Pilasters - In furniture a pilaster is a flattened column-like detail

    applied to furniture. It is similar to a pilaster in architecture, but it is

    typically smaller and less ornate. Pilasters are often used to decorate the

    fronts of bookcases, cabinets, and other pieces of furniture. Pilasters can be

    made of wood, metal, or other materials. They can be fluted, carved, or plain.

    Pilasters are often used to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to

    furniture.

  • Breakfront - A design generally found in larger pieces of furniture, such as bookcases, wardrobes and some sideboards. The line of the front is interrupted by the middle section standing out from each end. In a reverse breakfront, the centre section is recessed behind each end. Breakfronted pieces are usually made in three sections the middle and the two wings which are held together by the cornice and pediment, and the plinth on which it stands. The sensible buyer should show caution before buying breakfront pieces, especially bookcases, which are highly desirable and expensive. Always check that the timber, colour, patination, backboards, decoration and thickness of the wood are same in each section.
  • Rustic - Rustic is defined as "of, relating to, or typical of country life or country people", and the items illustrated in this price guide accord with that definition.

    But in the 18th and 19th century "rustic furniture" had a narrower definition. It referred to furniture where the framework was carved or moulded to resemble tree trunks and branches, and was usually for outdoor use. Rustic furniture was made in cast iron, wood, terracootta and concrete. Much of the Coalbrookdale company's cast iron furniture was of rustic design.
  • Plinth - The square or rectangular base of a piece of cabinet furniture, often ornamented with moulding. The plinth may be separate, as in some wardrobes or presses, and act as the support for the carcase. In a false plinth, the moulded boards may be attached directly to the piece. Furniture with a plinth base usually does not have separate feet. The term derives from architecture where it denotes the base of a column or statue.

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