THIS early 19th century Irish Regency dining table originally acquired for Bantry House in west Cork comes up at Christie’s in London on February 9. The estimate is £60,000-£90,000. It was probably acquired by Richard White, 1st Earl of Bantry (d. 1851) or his son, Viscount Berehaven, later 2nd Earl of Bantry (1800-1868). The table remained in Bantry House for many year before being sold anonymously at Christie’s in 2006 for £96,000.
Bantry House has been the home of the White family and the Earls of Bantry since c1765. From about 1816 the 1st Earl (1767-1851) preferred to live at his shooting lodge, styled as a cottage orné in nearby Glengariff. After the death of his wife in 1835 he lived there permanently. It was around this time that Bantry House was made over to his eldest son, Viscount Berehaven (1800-1868), later 2nd Earl of Bantry.
Viscount Berehaven was a collector, who travelled much of Europe and transformed Bantry House to what is seen today. He furnished the house with great opulence, which included such an outstanding array of items that Bantry House became known as ‘the Wallace Collection of Ireland’. The alterations to the house took place in the 1840s, and it is therefore possible that this table was acquired by either the 1st or 2nd Earl.
The table comes up as lot 105 in a sale entitled An Opulent Aesthetic: An Important Private Collection from an English Country House. There are 266 lots in the sale including 19th century paintings, Old Masters and sporting art, antique furniture and decorative arts.