Fine Huon Pine Drawing Room Table and Chairs, Melbourne 1865

George Thwaites (attributed), a fine drawing room table and two chairs, huon pine, Melbourne, circa 1865, most likely made for the playing of music with folding lectern top, full huon pine construction and finely carved column and legs, telescopically adjustable, original finish and patina, a superb and rare suite, the table 29.53 in. high, 38.19 in. wide, 19.29 in. deep. provenance: The Neil Robertson Collection, Melbourne, The table and two chairs were part of the furnishings of Neil Robertson's great-great-grandfather, Edward Ferdinand Yencken's house. The house, 'Banole' was a two-story, Vicarage Gothic building, set in generous grounds at Mount Erica, which was the name given to that part of Prahran, east of Williams Road and between High Street and Dandenong Road. The house was demolished and the land sold off for subdivision, following his great-great-grandmother's death after World War I. The table and chairs are part of a much larger suite of furniture much of which is still in family hands. Robertson's great-great-grandfather Edward Ferdinand Yencken was born in Denmark in 1820, the child of Dr. Ferdinand Johann Jencken and his wife Amalie Christine von Tiesenhausen nee von Loewenstern. His parents had left their respective spouses to run away together causing quite a ripple in their native Estonia and indeed in Russia where Amalie's family was very well connected. Edward Ferdinand Yencken married Ellen Druce in Guernsey in 1848 and shortly thereafter set sail for Sydney where he carried on a business importing goods from India. The business Jencken Barber & Co failed after a few years and Edward and Ellen returned to England along with their two daughters. In the late 1850s, the Yenckens (the name was changed by deed poll in Sydney in 1853) returned to Australia but this time to Melbourne, where Edward took up a job as the secretary of the Fyansford Viaduct Company. Banole was purchased in the early 1860s. The two eldest Jencken daughters were quite artistic, particularly the eldest, Mary Druce Jencken (1850-98) whose earliest drawing master in Sydney was Conrad Martens. The drawing table is understood to have been bought and maybe even commissioned for Mary and her sister, Alice. The family was unusually well educated in the rough and tumble of Gold Rush Melbourne. They were all bi-lingual, writing and speaking English and German with equal facility and French with only slightly less skill. In addition to painting, music was also highly valued with the family being able to make up its own ensemble as the children grew older. After he moved to Melbourne, E F Jencken was the secretary to the Norwich Union for many years.

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Gothic Style, Furniture - Gothic style furniture refers to pieces that are designed and crafted in the Gothic architectural and decorative style that was popular in Europe from the 12th to the 16th centuries. This style of furniture is characterised by its elaborate and ornate details, as well as its use of dark and heavy woods, such as oak and walnut.

Gothic style furniture often features intricate carvings and embellishments, including pointed arches, quatrefoils, and tracery. The style also frequently incorporates elements such as coats of arms, shields, and religious symbols. Gothic furniture often has a heavy and substantial appearance, and the pieces are often finished with a dark stain to accentuate the detailed carving and embellishments.

The furniture items can be quite large and imposing, and they are often used as statement pieces in large rooms. Gothic furniture can be a striking and dramatic addition to any space, and it is often appreciated by those who have an interest in medieval and historical design.
Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
Attributed - A cataloguing term where the item in the opinion of the cataloguers, is a of the period of the artist, craftsman or designer, and which probably in whole or part is the work of that person.
Huon Pine - Named after the Frenchman who discovered the Huon River in Tasmania, it is an extremely slow growing and long living tree. Huon pine is native to Tasmania, and it can grow to an age of 3,000 years or more. The wood contains oil that retards the growth of fungi, hence its early popularity in ship-building in convict-era Tasmania. The timber is a warm yellow colour, finely grained, and was popular for household furniture in the Victorian era. Interestingly, much Huon pine furniture was made in South Australia. Huon pine is a protected species and only limited quantities are available nowadays, for craftsmen to manufacture small items such as platters, sculptures and other decorative objects.
Column - An architectural feature sometimes used for decorative effect and sometimes as part of the supporting construction. Columns should generally taper slightly towards the top. They may be plain or decorated with carving, fluting or reeding. Columns may be fully rounded or, more commonly, half-rounded and attached with glue, screws or pins to the outer stiles of doors, or the facing uprights on cabinets and bureaux.
Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.

As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.

Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.

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