Charles II olive floral marquetry table available from Oxfordshire firm Alexander George Antiques for £48,000.
One is a Charles II olive floral marquetry table available from Oxfordshire firm Alexander George Antiques for £48,000.
In nearby Witney, WR Harvey & Co features a William and Mary period Oyster kingwood and rosewood escritoire for £60,000.
Chunkier oak furniture remained dominant in Britain throughout the 1600s.
However, for the wealthiest members of society, tastes turned towards elaborately decorated French-style furniture following the restoration of the monarchy. It was Charles II himself who brought his love of such pieces with him when he returned from exile in France to take the throne in 1660.
Oyster work
Both the pieces in question involve prime examples of oyster veneering - the technique of taking thin cross sections of a trunk or branch and laying them side by side in a distinctive repeating pattern.
In the case of the side table from Alexander George, the oyster work is in olive wood.
The surface of the table, 3ft 1in (94cm) wide, also features elaborate floral marquetry in olive as well as ebony, holly, walnut and tulip, along with stained bone.
Charles II olive floral marquetry table available from Oxfordshire firm Alexander George Antiques for £48,000.
It is attributed to Gerrit Jensen. Thought to have been Dutch, he may have studied the art of marquetry both at home and in Paris before settling in London, where he is known to have worked from at least 1677.
Setting up shop in St Martin’s Lane, he rose to prominence, completing a commission for Charles II and was later appointed royal cabinetmaker to William and Mary.
The attribution stems from a group of floral marquetry furniture also attributed to him, particularly a table in the collection of Ham House in Richmond.
Valuable veneer
The crossbanded fall front escritoire at WR Harvey is in kingwood, probably the most exotic and valuable veneer in 17th century Britain.
The plant is native to Brazil and is small, making its shrubby trunk ideal for the oyster work that covers this piece. Dating to c.1690, the escritoire is one of four examples that have passed through WR Harvey during the past 60 years and was probably made for a top noble family, if not a member of the royal family.
Measuring 1.65m (65in) high, it is veneered inside and out and features a Bible drawer, eight pigeonholes, a leather writing panel and a rosewood interior.
It is part of a family of cabinets made by Thomas Pistor of Ludgate Hill who worked in London c.1668- 1706 with his son of the same name.
