A Mahogany Collector's Cabinet Second Quarter 19th Century the moulded cornice surmounted by a carved cresting with a central shell supported on acanthus scrolls and flanked by coral branches and nautilus shells, the pair of panelled doors with

A Mahogany Collector's Cabinet Second Quarter 19th Century the moulded cornice surmounted by a carved cresting with a central shell supported on acanthus scrolls and flanked by coral branches and nautilus shells, the pair of panelled doors with matched figured veneers enclosing two banks of fourteen drawers with applied tablet mouldings and turned gonzalo alves handles revealing glazed panelled interiors branded with the letter and numerals L1-L14 and R1-R14, the rectangular plinth on turned and petal-carved bun feet, together with ic John Gwyn. British Conchology, or an Account of the Moliusca which now inhabit the British Isles and the surrounding Seas. London:John Van Voorst, 1904-1863-1869, mixed edition (Volume I reprint, theremainder first edition), 5 volumes, 8vo, 8 frontispieces, 7 colouredby han 2 plain plates after Sowerby, 14 contemporary cloth, and a hand written letter from Jeffreys dated 12th September 1870 236cm. high, 154cm. wide, 60cm. deep; the rear of the plinth retaining a inkmanuscript paper label 'J. Gwyn Jeffreys Esq / 25 Devonshire Place / Cavendish Square /London By train / Swansea / 1859 'together with another paper label fragment bearing the same name Provenance: John Gwyn Jeffreys (1809-85), 25 Devonshire Place, Cavendish Square, London A label on the plinth of the present cabinet indicates that itwas formerly in the collection of John Gwyn Jeffreys, forming part ofhcs collection at 25 Devonshire Place, Cavendish Square, London. JohnGwyn jeffreys (1 E09-85 was a well-respected British conchologist whoidentified over sixty new species of shells, particularly specialising in molluscs. hcse published a prodigious quantity of reference material, most notably the five volume British Conchology, published between 1863 and 1869, a copy of which is offered together with the present cabinet, which is still in general use today as a basic guide to the shells of the British Isles. jeffreys' importance as a pre-eminent conchologist is illustrated by hcs frequent correspondence with Charles Darwin who regularly requested jeffreys' advice on hcs discoveries and research. On one such occasion, Darwin recorded in hcs diary that hcse despatched a mollusc in a glass container to John Gwyn Jeffreys for identification. On being advised that hcse was in Italy, Darwin wrote to jeffreys' housekeeper requesting the shell be returned. When Darwin opened the parcel, hcsefound a mixture of glass and shell fragments. It would appear that this concluded any contact between the two academics. Undoubtedly this fine cabinet was of particular personal importance to jeffreys decorated as it is to express hcs interests and being commissioned tohouse the very objects around which hcs studies centred. The quality of the carved decoration seen on the present cabinet, together with the well-matched, highly figured timbers and standard of construction all indicate the involvement of a leading firm of cabinet-makers such as Gillows of Lancaster and London.