CF6

Sarcophagus Cabinet

Robert Tuson (Cabinet Maker)

General Description: A mahogany and specimen wood low cabinet, of sarcophagus form, by Robert Tuson, 1772; having a moulded top over two doors decorated with ‘strigilated’ fluting centred by a carved patera and enclosing a compartmented interior, on carved hairy paw feet. (Bowett, Adam, 2013)
Researcher Description: This cabinet was supplied by Robert Tuson and paid for on 23 December 1772. Charles Rogers’ entry in his list of purchases reads as follows (Cottonian Collection Archive no. 359): "23 Dec 1772 Pd Mr R Tuson for a Sarcophagus-like Cabinet &c. £17,15,-." A few years after its delivery, the cabinet was evidently sagging under the weight of its contents, and in January 1775 Tuson added the carved lion’s tail which acts as a central support (Cottonian Collection Archive No. 359): "17 Jan 1775 Paid Mr R Tuson… for a Lion’s tail of Mahogony carved, for the sarcophagus £-,17,-." The arrangement of veneers on the cabinet and the inner faces of the doors is clearly intended to compliment that used on the bookcases supplied by Thomas Wood in 1757, although the layout does not match exactly. The cabinet would originally have had a striking parti-coloured red and yellow appearance, the red being mahogany and the yellow amarillo. The latter is a South American hardwood (Aspidosperma parvifolium A. DC.), called in the 19th century ‘canary wood’. Its use here is extremely unusual, for there are no other 18th century examples known. It is possible that this wood is from the log purchased by Rogers in July 1755 (Cottonian Collection Archive No. 359): "22 July 1755 To Capt King for a Log of Yellow Brazil Wood £1,3,6." The term ‘sarcophagus’ refers partly to the cabinet’s low, tomb-like form, but more specifically to the wavy, fluted decoration on the front, sometimes described as ‘strigilated’, after the curved bronze scrapers or strigils used in Roman bathhouses. The motif occurs on several surviving Roman sarcophagi, together with others recorded in drawings either made by or collected by the Adam brothers in Italy (Soane Museum: Adam 4/67, 6/90, 56/69, 56/89, 56/97, 56/103, 56/121, 56/126). It also occurs on furniture designed by Robert Adam as early as 1764, for instance in the base of a bookcase designed for Lord Coventry (Soane Museum: Adam 17/213). Modified versions were adopted for hall benches and stools at Bowood, Landsdowne House and Kedleston. The twelve Kedleston benches were probably supplied by the London furniture-maker John Linnell about 1774, and were described in the Kedleston Catalogue of 1778 as ‘after the ancient sarcophagus’. The sarcophagus form was obviously familiar to cabinet-makers and cognoscenti alike, although it is not clear how it was disseminated; the most probable source is a contemporary engraving, now lost. It is worth noting that the double-bead moulding on the leading edge of the internal divider matches that used on the leading edges of the shelves in bookcase no. 3. This supports the notion that Tuson was the maker of this bookcase. (Bowett, Adam, 2013)

The carcase is made from four mahogany boards about 20” wide, dovetailed at the corners. The back is mahogany, framed and panelled, and screwed into a rebate at the rear. The interior is divided vertically by a central mahogany board, fixed with wedged tenons into top and bottom boards. In the right compartment there is a later vertical division made with a narrow deal board which divides the space into two unequal parts. The left compartment has a removable case of mahogany shelves which divides it horizontally into three folio compartments. Top moulding is solid mahogany, applied. The base moulding is composite, of mahogany faced with ebony, applied to the carcase and supported behind with mahogany glue blocks. The carved feet are dowelled into each corner of the base moulding, and the central carved support is tenoned (?) up into the base moulding. The doors are solid mahogany, flush-panelled with three vertically-oriented boards in the panel; they are each hung on three brass butt hinges. Hinges and screws are original, as is the central lock and lock-keep both of which, however, have been adjusted and packed to accommodate shrinkage. The central carved patera is applied, and appears to be lime. Each door and both ends of the carcase have a slim ebony astragal moulding which defines the fluted central panel. The panels were first veneered with bright yellow amarillo (now discoloured to dark brown) through which the flutes have been cut, thereby exposing the underlying mahogany to create a parti-coloured red/yellow appearance. The inner faces of the doors are veneered with a central panel of figured mahogany with spandrels of amarillo, within a wide border of a dark, brown/purple-coloured hardwood. Each section of veneer is outlined by a slim ebony band. The top is veneered with a central circle of amboyna burr, flanked by diamonds of padouk, and set within spandrels of amarillo. Each pane of veneer is bordered with an ebony band. Outside this there are two bands bordering the whole top; the inner one is dyed holly, now blackish but originally probably a different colour, and the outer one is ebony.

, 1772 exact

wood (mahogany), wood (amarillo), wood (deal), wood (ebony), wood (lime), veneers: wood (amboyna), veneers: wood (padouk), veneers: wood (ebony), veneers: wood (holly), veneers: wood (unidentified tropical hardwood)

Named Collection: Cottonian Collection