A Very Rare Scottish Mahogany Chest of Drawers by William Deans of Melrose, C.1835

Name: A Very Rare Scottish Mahogany Chest of Drawers by William Deans of Melrose, C.1835
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1076620
Availability: SoldOut

19th century

Sold by Jeckyll & Co

Description

A fine and commodious chest with a previously unrecorded label*

Possibly a distant relative of the famous Edinburgh and later Charleston, South Carolina cabinet maker Robert Deans (1721-1781)**. William Deans may have served an apprenticeship with James Mein of Kelso, an adjacent town less than 15 miles from Melrose. The quality of the construction and timbers can be compared with the work of Mein, and interestingly their trade ladels are similar.

This chest may have originally belonged to Lt. Colonel Thomas Ogilvy of Islabank, now Ruthven House, Forfarshire and his wife Lady Henrietta Ogilvy, daughter of Thomas William Fermor, 4th Earl of Pomfret. That an unknown maker had clients of this social standing adds further weight to Deans originally serving as a senior wright in a firm elsewhere and adopting, or being recommended by them when he set up business independently, perhaps when James Mein senior died in 1830. It is also testament to the quality of his work. Mein's patrons included the Earls of Haddington and the Dukes of Roxburghe.

William Deans is listed in Pigot & Co.'s National Commercial Directory as having premises in Market Place, Melrose in 1837.

*As far as I'm aware

**Further reading: 'The Nine Lives of Robert Deans: A Cabinetmaker and master builder in Edinburgh, Charleston and London, 1740-1780' by Stephen Jackson and Robert Leath, first published by The Journal of Early Sothern Decorative Arts, and available online.

128cm high x 125.5cm wide x 53.5cm deep

Well presented original and unrestored condition with a lovely consistent colour. Two small losses to the veneers at the corners and other small losses at the sides of the chest, losses to the collars on two handles.

Reliable transport throughout the UK can be easily arranged at cost price, please let me know if you would like a quote, require additional images or have any other questions.

Physical Dimensions

Height

128cm (50.39")

Width

125.5cm (49.41")

Depth

53.5cm (21.06")

Declaration

Jeckyll & Co has dated this piece to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1076620

Description

A fine and commodious chest with a previously unrecorded label*

“

Possibly a distant relative of the famous Edinburgh and later Charleston, South Carolina cabinet maker Robert Deans (1721-1781)**.

Jeckyll & Co

William Deans may have served an apprenticeship with James Mein of Kelso, an adjacent town less than 15 miles from Melrose. The quality of the construction and timbers can be compared with the work of Mein, and interestingly their trade ladels are similar.

fig 1. A very rare Scottish mahogany chest of drawers by William Deans of Melrose, c.1835 — fig 1. A Very Rare Scottish Mahogany Chest of Drawers by William Deans of Melrose, C.1835

This chest may have originally belonged to Lt. Colonel Thomas Ogilvy of Islabank, now Ruthven House, Forfarshire and his wife Lady Henrietta Ogilvy, daughter of Thomas William Fermor, 4th Earl of Pomfret. That an unknown maker had clients of this social standing adds further weight to Deans originally serving as a senior wright in a firm elsewhere and adopting, or being recommended by them when he set up business independently, perhaps when James Mein senior died in 1830. It is also testament to the quality of his work. Mein's patrons included the Earls of Haddington and the Dukes of Roxburghe.

fig 2. A very rare Scottish mahogany chest of drawers by William Deans of Melrose, c.1835 — fig 2. A Very Rare Scottish Mahogany Chest of Drawers by William Deans of Melrose, C.1835

William Deans is listed in Pigot & Co.'s National Commercial Directory as having premises in Market Place, Melrose in 1837.

As far as I'm aware

Further reading: 'The Nine Lives of Robert Deans: A Cabinetmaker and master builder in Edinburgh, Charleston and London, 1740-1780' by Stephen Jackson and Robert Leath, first published by The Journal of Early Sothern Decorative Arts, and available online.

fig 3. A very rare Scottish mahogany chest of drawers by William Deans of Melrose, c.1835 — fig 3. A Very Rare Scottish Mahogany Chest of Drawers by William Deans of Melrose, C.1835

128cm high x 125.5cm wide x 53.5cm deep

Well presented original and unrestored condition with a lovely consistent colour. Two small losses to the veneers at the corners and other small losses at the sides of the chest, losses to the collars on two handles.

Reliable transport throughout the UK can be easily arranged at cost price, please let me know if you would like a quote, require additional images or have any other questions.