Near Pair of Regency Period Rosewood Sofa Games Tables Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster

A near pair of Regency period rosewood sofa games tables attributed to Gillows of Lancaster, the tops with rounded ends covered in the original distressed leather, both with a central reversible chessboard which can be removed to display a backgammon board beneath, the friezes with dummy drawers retaining their original gilded handles and decorated with ormolu mounts; having elegant lyre ends raised on outswept legs terminating in acanthus cap castors. English, circa 1815. The tables differ very slightly in size and handles. Provenance for the slightly larger table with circular knob handles: Hermione Countess of Ranfurly The Countess of Ranfurly was the author of ‘To War with Whitaker’ her memoirs of life in Cairo with Eisenhower. Her husband was the 6th Earl of Ranfurly and the Governor General of Bahamas between 1953 and 1956. Footnote: The design for a rosewood sofa table in the sketch book of 13 April 1813, made for John Gladstone of Liverpool, father of the future Prime Minister, is published in Susan E Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, 2008 Vol I, p.265, pl. 270. When the firm made the ‘sofa backgammon table, to suit the above’ (p267, pls 272 and 273) no expense was spared. With the extra tooled morocco leather for the interior backgammon board, the additional labour for that and inlaying the chess board and the 85 feet of brass beading at 3d per foot (as opposed to the 69ft on the sofa table) this version of the table, at £19 4s. 5d, cost a full pound more to produce. Sadly, there is no record of the sale price asked of Mr Gladstone.