C R Mackintosh. A cypress wood and brass writing cabinet merly green stained

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928). A cypress wood writing cabinetmerly green stained, with stylised foliate brass hinges and conforming handles. The lower sides with floral fret work. Provenance: by descent from the relatives of James Guthrie. The writing cabinet was consigned to McTears, Auction House in Glasgow, together with a collection of items, as part of the contents removed a house owned by the Guthrie relatives, including silver and brassware with 'Guthrie' stamped in bold writing onto two separate chargers, two watercolours and an oil painting by Guthrie including some hinges and an associated sideboard all of which I have images of. For similar see Kaplan, Wendy (editor) 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh', pl. 159. opposite p. 233. The original furniture Mackintosh designed for Guthrie and Wells was made from cypress wood and stained green and of simple construction. This unique style and construction are the same. Behind the hinges and handles the original green stain is still as vibrant as the day it was applied. The keyhole escutcheons are identical to the linen press with candle sconces to each side that Mackintosh designed for John Henderson, one of the earliest known surviving pieces he designed. The back treatment of this present lot is the same and has just three wide boards which run from the top right to the floor. The side treatment is also from the top straight to the ground quite typical of Mackintosh. For this see Kaplan, Wendy (editor) 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh', p. 232, fig 160 and Billcliffe, Roger 'Charles Rennie Mackintosh: The Complete Furniture, Furniture Drawings. And Interior Designs', p.34, fig. 1895.6. The metalwork is identical on some pieces and so very similar on others, see the Billcliffe work above, p. 33, fig. 1895.2 and 1895.3 for washstand and dressing table handles. The floral brass hinge mirrors the fretwork flowers to the sides are almost identical to the roses the stylised women are holding on the stencilled decoration he designed for Buchanan Tea Rooms in 1897. For this see Kaplan, Wendy (editor), as before, p. 81, fig. 45 and Billcliffe, as before, p. 40, fig. 1896.11). Taken from an e-mail correspondence on 14/01/09 with Peter Trowles, MLitt., FRSA, Mackintosh Curator, Archives and Collections Centre, the Glasgow School of Art. 'I think your bureau has all the attributes to link it to a Mackintosh-related piece. The underlying green stain, simple case construction and choice of ironmongery are all strong pointers plus you have got the Guthrie provenance'. Height 159cm, Width 96cm, Depth 45cm.