Leppington House Colonial Cedar Sofa, 1830

Leppington House early Colonial Australian cedar sofa, with…
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Leppington House early Colonial Australian cedar sofa, with handsomely carved and turned decoration, and finely upholstered in black horsehair, circa 1830. Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Leppington House was a grand two storey manor belonging to William Cordeaux, and with convict assistance was constructed sometime between 1823 and 1828. Cordeaux arrived in the Colony aboard The Friendship in January 1818 and soon found work at the Commissariat Department as the Deputy Commissariat-General. Cordeaux became one of the largest land holders in the Camden district with substantial holdings of sheep and cattle. Upon the houses completion it was lavishly furnished with the finest that the new colony could provide; this settee bearing all the hallmarks of the New Colonial aristocratic elite. 99 cm high, 225 cm wide, 63 cm deep. provenance: The Leppington House, New South Wales, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. L. Oakman, Campbeltown, Collection of George and Adisa Pompei, Sydney. Illustrated: Clifford Craig, Kevin Fahy and E. Graeme Robertson, Early Colonial Furniture in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, 1971, illustrated p. 99; This sofa is based on a design by Peter and Michael Angelo Nicholsen and can be found in Peter Nicholsen's Practical Cabinet-Maker, 1827 (plate 79)

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  • Horsehair - Horsehair fabric is a woven textile made from the mane and tail hair of horses, used in upholstery in the 19th century, when it was a staple of high-end furniture production.

    The hair is collected from horses by grooming or clipping the mane and tail. It is then washed and sorted, with longer strands usually reserved for the warp (lengthwise) threads and shorter ones for the weft (crosswise) threads. The horsehair is then spun into yarn and woven into a durable, tightly-woven fabric with a distinctive texture. Horsehair fabric has a natural lustre and is known for its resilience and durability, making it an ideal material for upholstery.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • 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.
  • Turning - Any part of a piece of furniture that has been turned and shaped with chisels on a lathe. Turned sections include legs, columns, feet, finials, pedestals, stretchers, spindles etc. There have been many varieties and fashions over the centuries: baluster, melon, barley-sugar, bobbin, cotton-reel, rope-twist, and so on. Split turning implies a turned section that has been cut in half lengthwise and applied to a cabinet front as a false decorative support.

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