The Cleve House Settees;
An outstanding pair of cream and polychrome decorated and gilt settees, each with a triple chairback all in the Neo-classical design. Having four turned carved and reeded front legs, which are all raised on brass castors. The settee’s each have three large oval finely decorated panels and four small square shaped panels, each with studies of naturalistic botanical scenes, this indicates possibly the hand of George Brookshaw (1751–1823) who described himself as a 'peintre ébéniste' (painter-cabinetmaker). Brookshaw had his cabinet making business in Curzon Street, London, and later moved to 48 Marlborough Street. His paintwork was truly extraordinarily fine and beautiful. One settee is indistinctly inscribed in pencil 'Musiles...1802' the other inscribed in ink 'Wikin 1802'. These could possibly be the names of the journeymen who worked on this suite.
Refreshed decoration. English circa 1802.
Height 93cm; Width 211.5cm: Depth 67cm: Seat height 42cm

Provenance
Commissioned by Stephen Cave Esq (d.1838) of Cleve Hill Mangotsfield, Gloucestershire. Part of the Bristol Banking Firm, Ames, Cave & Co. Cleve Hill was an 18th-century park and pleasure grounds created by Thomas Wright for Charles Bragge around 1750. It is on the site of an earlier house and grounds. The mansion house (built in 1717) was demolished in 1920, but some outbuildings remain. The fourth son of Stephen Cave and Anne Daniel had properties at 13 Lowndes Street, London and St. Nicholas Abbey in Barbados and by decent to Laurence Trent Cave (d.1899) second son of Charles Cave, of Ditcham Park, Petersfield, 13 Lowndes Square, London and St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbados, and by decent to Charles John Philip Cave, MA, FSA, FRPS (d.1950), eldest son of Laurence Trent Cave, of Ditcham Park, Petersfield and St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbados and by decent to Laurence Charles Henry Cave (d.1981), eldest son of Charles John Philip Cave of Bletchingly, Surrey and St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbados and by decent to Lt. Col. Stephen Cave OBE., who sold at Christie's London, 17 November 1988, lot 50 the suite of twenty armchairs and a pair of settees. The settee’s which bear the date 1802, formed part of the drawing-room or parlour furniture.

Condition
Refreshed cream and polychrome-decoration

Signed/Inscribed
'Musiles...1802' 'Wikin 1802'.