10300 An early Victorian mahogany hall bench by John Kendell & Co, Leeds, the top with a shield-shaped cut out, and with hexagonal bar handles, the frieze with pointed arch design and standing on tapering hexagonal legs with carved capitals and bun feet. Original printed label.
English, Leeds
1835-40
Width: 51 ins (130 cms)
Depth: 15 ins (38 cms)
Overall height: 26 ins (66 cms) £4,500
Description
John Kendell and Co were an important Leeds cabinet makers recorded from 1783-1863 and registered as working on Mill Hill in central Leeds. From the 1830s much of their furniture was labelled and in some cases numbered and marked with the workman’s name. This allows an overview of the output as well as style and quality. In this case, the name and number are not legible but stylistically we can date this bench to the 1830s. The legs in particular show the influence of the Elizabethan revival which was building in strength as a theme for interior decoration and can be seen in design books of this period.
In 1863 the firm was bought by Marsh and Jones, equally celebrated cabinet makers, and the name of Kendell disappears from the directories.
