Lot 93
A PAIR OF CHINESE BLACK AND GOLD LACQUER CABINETS-ON-STANDS
18TH CENTURY, ADAPTED; THE STANDS 19TH CENTURY
The Line of Beauty: A Collector’s Pursuit
Auction: 01 July 2026 from 10:00 BST
Description
with pairs of doors with brass strap hinges and decorated to depict gardens with figures and flowering plants and trees, opening to reveal an arrangement of twelve small drawers, variously decorated with landscapes and birds, all highlighted with gilt details; the lower section with fall front compartments converted from a drawer; previously with bun feet now raised on later baroque style carved and giltwood stands (2)
Dimensions
84cm wide, 176cm high, 54cm deep
Footnote
By repute, this pair of lacquer cabinets formerly belonged to Barbara Hutton and was housed at her palace, Sidi Hosni, in the Kasbah of Tangier, northern Morocco. Born in New York, Barbara Hutton (1912–1979) inherited the Woolworth fortune and, from an early age, ranked among the world's wealthiest women. A near contemporary of fellow heiress Doris Duke, Hutton pursued a highly cosmopolitan lifestyle, maintaining homes in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Mexico. She was widely known as a collector, philanthropist, and prominent social figure. Although celebrated for her immense wealth, she was famously labelled the "poor little rich girl" and experienced a turbulent personal life, marrying and divorcing seven times while also struggling with addiction.
After her divorce from actor Cary Grant, her third husband, in 1945, Hutton purchased the Sidi Hosni palace, an extensive residence formed from seven interconnected houses in the heart of Tangier. The property soon became her favoured sanctuary and a gathering place for many of the era's most fashionable visitors. Her presence helped reinforce Tangier's reputation as an alluring destination for the international elite. Local lore even suggests that she convinced city officials to enlarge the historic gateway to the old town so that her Rolls-Royce could pass through with ease. Hutton furnished Sidi Hosni with works of art and antiques sourced largely from Paris and London. Following her death in 1979, the contents of the palace were dispersed through a series of sales.