Sideboard
In the entrance hall is a fine three-drawer oak sideboard of about 1640 with an ornament of beading surrounding the drawers and simple dentil and cornice decoration on the frieze.  The top consists of two wide boards secured with dowel pegs which run the entire length of the chest to seven feet.  The shallow backboard is fixed by dowel pegs.

The Court Cupboard
In the Garden Room is a fine example of a cupboard of the type known as a Court Cupboard, probably dating from the early seventeenth century.  Originally Court Cupboards were in fact three open shelves, usually of oak, on which the silver or pewter to be used by the people of the house was kept, especially  the drinking cups.  Each person at dinner would call for a drink of ale or wine and a servant would bring it to him.  Later the cup would be cleaned and returned to the board where it had stood, hence the 'cup board'.  Later the term was extended to hall or parlour cupboards in which the space between the shelves was enclosed by doors.

The Guildford House piece clearly belongs to this type.  A characteristic feature are the bulbous 'cup and cover' supports at the corners.  The cupboard is elaborately carved with a simple acanthus motif in the frieze over the doors, which are also carved. between the doors is a carved arch springing from two pilasters, similar to the one illustrated in the Dictionary of English Furniture dated 1610.

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ

Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 444742
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk