A Liberty style Celtic oak dresser by Smee & Cobay

Smee & Cobay A rare and striking oak Arts & Crafts dresser, plank construction with overhanging top section of shelves supported on large, Celtic, carved volute spandrel bracket roundels, over one drawer and two doors with ornate iron hinges and straps to the front and to the sides, with heart shaped ends, japanned screws, eared escutcheons and ring handles, circa 1900, 183cm (72in) high, 152cm (60in) max wide, 59cm (23.5in) max deep. Smee & Cobay had a factory in Moorfields and a showroom on New Bond Street. The company was dissolved in 1904. This attribution is based on a labelled sideboard with exactly the same roundels and metalwork. The Celtic Spiral represents their sun and the dual centred spiral has associations with motifs from other cultures, such as the yin-yang symbol. It signifies the duality of nature and balance.