Beschreibung:

ATTRIBUTED TO GEORGE JACK, FOR MORRIS & CO., A MAHOGANY OCCASIONAL TABLE
CIRCA 1890
The underside stamped Morris & C0 / 449 Oxford STW / 530 and a paper label with ink inscription 'WILLIAM MORRIS/ used to work at his designs /for the KELMSCOT CHAUCER/ in the studio at The Grange/ on Sunday Mornings/ while my father Edward Burne-Jones/ worked at his drawings for the/ same book. Morris used this table' and further label with ink inscription 'This Table/ left/ to/ CLARE'
65cm high, 61cm wide, 61cm deep
 
Provenance:
According to paper label the table belonged to Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898) and was used at The Grange, Fulham;
By descent to his daughter Mrs J W Mackail (nee Margaret Burne-Jones) (1866-1953);
By descent to her daughter Clare Mackail (1896-1975);
Thence by family descent.
 
This occasional table was almost certainly a popular model, designed by George Jack (1855-1931), and supplied by Morris & Co., Oxford Street, London, in the late 19th century. An identical table sold Christie's, London, 13 May 2014, lot 162.
 
George Washington Jack, architect, furniture-designer and wood carver, was chief furniture designer for Morris & Co. from 1890 onwards. Jack was born to Scottish and Irish parents in Long Island, New York in 1855 but on his father's death in 1860 the family returned to Glasgow. Jack was articled to a number of architectural practices in Scotland and London before joining Philip Webb's firm as a draughtsman and site architect in 1882. Webb introduced Jack to William Morris and from 1885 Jack began to work for Morris & Co. as chief designer while simultaneously working for Webb. This table in Jack's preferred 18th century revival style probably dates from c. 1890 suggested by its relationship to another similar walnut table now in St. Louis Museum of Art (189:1990). Jack was elected a member of the Art Workers Guild in 1906, and exhibited at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society. Another table designed by Jack and exhibited as per above was described as: 'a table [with piecrust top] six carved legs, executed by Sidwell and Thatcher, carving by H. Dodd, exh. Morris & Co. (cat. no. 415). In the Morris & Co. catalogue of this year it featured as No. 376, priced at 8 guineas, and a plain version No. 370 was available in oak or mahogany for £4 10 0' ().