A Victorian Butterfly-Mounted Room Divider, circa 1880–1900
the rectangular double-sided screen inset with symmetrical arrangements of exotic butterflies and moths beneath glass, within a mahogany frame, raised on turned supports and splayed legs with brass castors.
Dimensions: approx. width 65cm, by 12cm deep, by 112.5cm overall height
Such decorative screens reflect the late Victorian and Edwardian fascination with natural history, with examples often supplied by specialist dealers such as Henry R. Hope & Co. or Watkins & Doncaster, who prepared butterfly cases for both domestic interiors and museum display.
In terms of cabinetmaking style, the turned supports and splayed legs on castors are very much in line with mid–late 19th century English work, not dissimilar to Gillows-inspired furniture.