Waterloo Elm Cabinet by Thomas Chippendale

Waterloo Elm Cabinet by Thomas Chippendale the Younger
Circa 1820

It was beneath this ancient elm that Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, established his principal command post during the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. From that vantage point, Wellington directed the Allied forces in the battle that defeated Napoleon and reshaped the political order of the world.

The timber of this celebrated tree became a treasure in its own right. Its survival was due to remarkable timing and foresight. John George Children, a librarian at the British Museum and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, was present on the battlefield shortly before the Waterloo Elm was felled. Recognizing its extraordinary historical importance, he secured the timber and commissioned Thomas Chippendale Jr., the leading English cabinetmaker of the Regency era as well as the cabinetmaker to the royal family, to transform it into furniture worthy of its origin.

The cost of this commission was ambitious for a man of Children’s means, but he clearly understood that the wood of Wellington’s command tree deserved to be preserved in a form equal to its history. Chippendale answered with works of exceptional refinement, creating what are now among the most iconic and coveted pieces of English furniture of all time.

Almost all known examples of Waterloo Elm furniture are held in important British collections. A throne created from the timber to honor the Prince Regent’s accession as George IV is now in the Queen’s Guard Room at Windsor Castle. A chair presented to the Duke of Wellington remains at Stratfield Saye. This cabinet is believed to be one of only two pieces of Waterloo Elm furniture still in private hands.

Every detail reinforces its historic significance. The royal lion surmounts the word “Waterloo,” while cannon-form handles, laurel wreath mounts and paw feet speak to victory, military triumph and Regency taste. Beyond its remarkable provenance, it is also a superb example of Chippendale craftsmanship, balancing neoclassical restraint with potent symbols of British power at the moment of Napoleon’s defeat.

Cabinet: 28 1/2" high x 17 1/4" wide x 17 1/4" deep
On base: 57" high x 17 1/4" wide x 17 1/4" deep

Provenance:
John George Children
By descent to family, at Halstead Place, Kent
Sold from Halstead Place or its contents, circa 1920s
Acquired at a house sale in Kent in the 1920s
Sold anonymously, Phillips, March 28, 1997, lot 237
Private collection, UK
M.S. Rau, New Orleans