102 / 323
158 A IRISH FINE WILLIAM IV MAHOGANY BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE,
attributed to Mack, Williams & Gibtons, the moulded cornice with a round central pediment above
four open shelves intersposed by pilasters with leaf carved capitals, raised on a cupboard base with
four fielded doors on a platform base, 335cm wide, 215cm tall
€ 15,000 - 20,000
Mack, Williams & Gibton supplied library bookcases to a number of Irish country houses including
Ballyfin, Co. Laois and Borris House, Co. Carlow. The bookcases at Ballyfin drew on the designs of
W. F. Pocock and favoured the use of low relief panels as are found on this bookcase and on two
tables in Dublin Castle and a bookcase in Áras an Uachtaráin (Illustrated in Angela Alexander, ‘A
Firm of Dublin Cabinet-Makers Mack, Williams & Gibton’, Irish Arts Review Yearbook, Vol. 11, 1995,
pp. 142-148). The firm also favoured the use of architectural pediments as on this bookcase. The
partnership of Mack, Williams and Gibton formed in 1811-1812 flourished under this name until the
death of John Mack in 1829. The firm is recognized for the superb timbers employed and their high
quality of workmanship which is often compared to Gillows of Lancaster and London. As with this
bookcase, much of the furniture they produced was inspired by the designs published by Thomas
Hope and George Smith. The original partners John Mack and Robert Gibton are listed in the Dublin
directories individually from 1784 and 1790, respectively, and appear to have come into partnership
in 1803. They were appointed ‘Upholsterers & Cabinet Makers to his Majesty, His Excellency the
Lord Lieutenant and His Majesty’s Board of Works’ in 1806 and the firm retained this Royal Warranty
for many years, supplying and restoring furniture for important public buildings in Ireland including
the Four Courts, the War office, the Barracks Office, Dublin Castle and the Treasury and Vice-regal
Lodge.