An early Victorian Gothic revival sofa the design attributed to A. W. N. Pugin

An early Victorian Gothic revival sofa the design attributed to A. W. N. Pugin, and probably made by J. G. Crace, for Sir James Watts of Abney Hall, Cheadle, button upholstered with scarlet damask fabric, on Gothic chamfered giltwood legs, carved with Tudor style rosettes and bands of laurel leaves, on sunken brass castors, 84.5cm high, 181cm wide, 70.5cm deep.

Provenance:

Sir James Watts (1804-1878) of Abney Hall, Cheadle, Cheshire and by descent.

The estate of the late Sir John Alexander Campbell-Orde, 6th Baronet (1943-2016).

Sir James Watts was a Manchester based textile merchant who owned S & J Watts Ltd. He was Mayor of Manchester between 1855-57 and became High Sheriff of Lancashire. He had a passion for the arts and after Prince Albert stayed with him at Abney Hall to open the Art Treasures Exhibition in 1857, Queen Victoria awarded him a knighthood.

Abney Hall was originally built in 1847 for Alfred Orrell but after his death in 1849 it was acquired by Sir James Watts and in the early 1850s he employed A.W.N. Pugin and J. G. Crace to remodel the interiors.