A Collection of Stanley Webb Davies Furniture

The collection of furniture by Stanley Webb Davies in our September Arts & Crafts and Art Deco Auction (lots 225-259) is probably the largest ever single-owner commission to come on the market.


The collection of furniture by Stanley Webb Davies in our September Arts & Crafts and Art Deco Auction (lots 225-259) is probably the largest ever single-owner commission to come on the market.

An oak hanging corner cupboard,
dated 1934, designed by Stanley Webb Davies, craftsman Bob Willett
Estimate £1,500-2,000


Stanley Webb Davies (1894-1978) was born into a wealthy mill-owning family in Lancashire and was educated at Bootham, a Quaker School in York, and then studied history at Oxford. During the First World War, he was a member of the Friends' War Victims Relief team and built huts for refugees, which in turn developed his love of woodwork.

After the war, he worked for Romney Green at his workshop in Christchurch, Hampshire. In  1922, with help from his father, he built his workshop and a new home he called 'Gatesbield', which was designed by the architect Kenneth Cross. He worked there for the rest of his life and adhered to the Arts and Crafts Movement's ideals of the craftsman-maker versus machine-production.

A walnut triple wardrobe,
dated 1935, designed by Stanley Webb Davies, craftsman Ernest John Oldcorn
Estimate £3,000-5,000


He designed and made domestic and ecclesiastical furniture, presentation pieces, and items for boardrooms and offices. Most of his work was made to commission and he was resolute in never producing exactly the same design twice. His workshop closed on his retirement in 1961.

The fascinating detail of the works in this collection is that most of the pieces are signed by the craftsmen that made them: Ernest John Oldcorn,  Bob Willetts, Herbert Marshall and Richard Cloudsdale.

 

View The Collection 


For more information please contact John Black

johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

 

 


 

Recent News

 

John Cobb  |  Furniture Fit For a King

A fine commode, believed to be by John Cobb (1715-1778), arguably one of England's greatest furniture makers, comes up for sale in Dick Turpin | The Legend Lives On to be held on 25 January.

7 December 2023

Tales in Thread | The Hildegard Heygate Textiles Collection

Sworders are pleased to present a selection of antique and vintage textiles in our December Fine Interiors sale, including items from the collection of the late Hildegard Heygate.

4 December 2023

Grand Plans | Emma Barnett, Head of Homes & Interiors

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Emma Barnett has been appointed as Head of Department with responsibility for the future development of our Homes and Interiors sales – Emma has been with Sworders for some time, but as she now moves into this pivotal role, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce her to you.

30 November 2023

 


 

Get Sworders News