18th C North Italian Walnut, Serpentine Comodino / Small Commode
Located in San Francisco, CA
18th C North Italian Walnut, Serpentine Comodino. Very original condition. Cross banded with a very warm color and expressive figured veneers. Great small scale and overall curvy des...
Walnut
19th century Swedish serpentine mahogany chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century Swedish serpentine mahogany chest of drawers circa 1880. Fine quality elegant Swedish 19th century commode fitted with 4 graduating drawers which open on the key, whic...
Mahogany
A Fine and Unusual Lancashire Mahogany Serpentine Chest
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A George III period mahogany serpentine chest with reeded canted corners and open fret ogee bracket feet The shaped top over a brushing slide and drawers with original brass handles...
Mahogany
George III Period Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Folkestone, GB
A fine quality George III period mahogany serpentine fronted chest of drawers in original condition and of generous practical proportions with deep drawers. In good, well looked afte...
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Fine Italian Walnut Inlaid Veneer Serpentine Commode
Located in Atlanta, GA
Handsome early 19th century Italian Fine Walnut Veneer Serpentine Shape 2 drawer commode features a beautiful finish. Oak and Pine Secondary make a strong and sturdy piece. Top and s...
Oak, Walnut, Pine
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Art Deco Four-Drawer Bleached Mahogany Serpentine Front Commode
By Empire Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Bleached and toned mahogany four-drawer commode by the fine furniture maker, Empire Furniture Company of Rockford, Illinois. Serpentine front is set off by canted front legs and brus...
Brass
19th Century French Painted Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A beautiful and highly decorative 19th Century French Serpentine chest of drawers. With three working drawers that retain their original decorative handles. Stylish later painted in ...
Brass
Swedish Rococo Commode, Soft Blue Finish, Serpentine Front, Circa 1780
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
18th Century Swedish Rococo commode. Elegant, tall and with narrow proportions. With serpentine front and three drawers, repainted in soft blue. Circa 1780. With very minor restorat...
Wood
George III Style Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Cheshire, GB
A fine George III style serpentine chest of drawers in richly figured mahogany, of elegant and balanced proportions. The bowed front is veneered in beautifully figured, bookmatched m...
Wood
18th C. French Louis XV Carved & Painted Wood Serpentine Commode
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV carved and painted wood serpentine commode from the 18th century. This antique commode from France features a slightly overhanging top, with softly rounded front co...
Wood
French 19th C. Serpentine Commode, Blue Finish w/Gold Trim
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French shapely serpentine painted wood commode of three drawers from the 19th century.
Brass
Danish Rococo Oak Serpentine Chest of Drawers, 1940s
Located in Rødding, DK
A solid quarter-sawn oak serpentine chest of drawers in the Danish Rococo tradition — the work of an unknown Danish cabinetmaker, 1940s — with six graduated drawers displaying except...
Brass
John Widdicomb French Provincial Bombe Serpentine Burl Walnut Commode Dresser
By John Widdicomb
Located in Plainview, NY
John Widdicomb French Provincial Bombé Serpentine Walnut Commode or Dresser, Signed A handsome French Provincial Louis XV-style commode by John Widdicomb, Grand Rapids, Michigan. T...
Brass
Baker Furniture French Louis XV Serpentine Commodes, Tiger Oak, 1960s
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Southampton, NJ
Exceptional pair of French Louis XV style serpentine commodes, nightstands or chests of drawers boasting fiery Tiger oak wood grains, banded burl wood tops & striking brass hardw...
Brass
18th century Swedish Serpentine Front Chest of Drawers
Located in Charleston, SC
An exceptional 18th century Swedish chest with beautifully carved serpentine drawer fronts with original bronze hardware and intricate carved apron on bun feet. Chest of drawers is i...
Bronze
18th Century Italian Serpentine Walnut Parquetry Inlaid Marble Top Commode
Located in Atlanta, GA
18th Century Italian Serpentine Walnut Parquetry Inlaid Marble Top Commode with Splayed Feet
Walnut
A mahogany four-drawer serpentine chest of drawers
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A George III mahogany four-drawer serpentine chest of drawers, the shaped top with fluted cut corners, with four graduated drawers, orginal brass handels and bracket feet. English, ...
Mahogany
18th Century Period Baroque Serpentine Front Chest Of Drawers
Located in Charleston, SC
Large very good condition sturdy antique piece. Today, antique commodes from the Baroque era remain highly desirable for their elegance 18th-century Baroque furniture is defined by...
Oak, Paint
Danish Rococo Serpentine Oak Chest of Drawers, 1780s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Rococo Serpentine Oak Chest of Drawers, 1780s. Exquisite antique Danish four drawer dresser hand crafted in solid white oak made in Denmark in the late 1700s. Serpentine dr...
Oak
Serpentine Commode, 18th century style Italian floral painted and gilt
Located in London, Park Royal
Italian Rococo painted commode, the serpentine-fronted , fitted with three drawers, the front and sides are decorated with floral patterns on a green and gold background . The commo...
Wood
Contemporary Hand-Painted Serpentine Gray and White Painted Commode Dresser
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Bring a touch of timeless elegance to your space with this Contemporary Hand-Painted Serpentine Gray and White Commode Dresser. Beautifully crafted and artfully finished, this exquis...
Walnut
18th Century Mahogany Serpentine Chest with Carrying Handles
Located in London, GB
A fine mid-18th century flame figured mahogany canted cornered serpentine chest, satinwood crossbanded and boxwood and ebony strung throughout, having moulded edge top with bold oval...
Mahogany
Louis XV Period Serpentine Commode in Walnut, France ca. 1750
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fine Walnut Commode of serpentine form. Originating in the Provence region of France, and dating from the Louis XV period. Notable for its pierced apron and deep carved designs, an...
Marble
French Louis XV Commode, Circa 1750, Serpentine Inlay, 3 Drawers
Located in Queens, NY
French Louis XV style (18/19th Century) serpentine shaped front commode with raised panel sides and corners, inset inlay borders, 3 drawers with finely cast brass ring pulls, brass ...
Brass
Baker Furniture Georgian Style Serpentine Pine Chest of Drawers
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Chicago, IL
Baker Furniture Georgian Style Serpentine Pine Chest of Drawers – 4 Drawer Elegant Baker Furniture serpentine chest in solid pine, featuring four drawers, classic Georgian styling, ...
Pine
Commode, Early 18th Century, Italian, Venetian, Baroque, Walnut, Serpentine Front
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
The serpentine front on this magnificent commode is sophisticated and gives it gravitas. It has a rich colour and lustrous patina and has come from a private collection, Semenzato Ve...
Walnut
George III Mahogany, Kingwood, and Satinwood Serpentine Commode, circa 1785
By George Hepplewhite
Located in Kinderhook, NY
A fine circa 1785 English George III period Hepplewhite style three-drawer commode of serpentine form having exquisitely grained crotch mahogany veneers with kingwood crossbanding an...
Brass
Petite 18th Century French Louis XV Oak Commode with Serpentine Front
Located in Atlanta, GA
Petite 18th Century French Louis XV Oak Commode with Serpentine Front and 3 Drawers
Oak
Louis XV-Style Cream Serpentine Commode, Painted Wood, 20th Century
Located in Queens, NY
French Louis XV-style serpentine commode that contrasts a smooth, scalloped beige faux marble top with a wooden, cream-painted body of undulated drawers with brass pulls and petite, ...
Wood
Commode Italian Venetian Baroque Burr Walnut Geometric Inlay Serpentine Front
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
The serpentine front on this magnificent commode is sophisticated and gives it gravitas. The undulating form is a masterpiece of carpentry. The carpenter has used different woods fi...
Walnut, Burl
English Serpentine Fronted Chest of Drawers of Flame Mahogany
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome large English chest of drawers of flame mahogany, in the Georgian style, from the 19th century, featuring a moulded top with reeded edge, set upon a serpentine fronted fri...
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century English Serpentine Kingwood Chest of Drawers
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
An impressive and very good quality early 19th Century English serpentine chest of drawers. This beautiful piece has quality veneers on an oval inlay decoration to its shaped top. W...
Brass
18th Century French Louis XV Walnut Serpentine “Commode Tombeau” from Bordeaux
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique French commode Bordelaise, also known as a commode tombeau, was crafted in Bordeaux, France, circa 1750.
Bronze
18th c Continental Three Drawer Serpentine Oak Commode with Iron Handles
Located in Milford, NH
A solid Continental three drawer serpentine oak commode with conforming top, replaced brasses, iron side handles (each slightly different), border inlay on each drawer front, and nic...
Brass, Iron
Rare Mid 18th Century German Walnut Pewter & Marquetry Serpentine Commode
Located in Benington, Herts
A Fine 18th Century German Walnut shaped oxbow-fronted Commode inlaid with Ivory and Pewter German - Probably made in Braunschweig Circa 1740 A masterful example of a fine 18th ce...
Tapestry, Walnut
Danish Baroque Oak Serpentine Tallboy Chest of Drawers, 1940s
Located in Rødding, DK
A dark-stained solid oak serpentine tallboy chest of drawers in the Danish Baroque Revival tradition — the work of an accomplished unknown Danish cabinetmaker, 1920s — with seven gra...
Brass
18th century George III mahogany serpentine chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
18th century George III mahogany serpentine chest of drawers circa 1760. Fine quality serpentine shaped Georgian period chest of drawers complete with brushing slide. Top surface m...
Brass
Small Maltese Walnut Commode Chest of Drawers
Located in Swadlincote, GB
Excellent quality Maltese deep serpentine burr walnut crossbanded commode chest of two drawers, oak lined throughout, top quality ormolu mounts, in very nice condition throughout wit...
Walnut
Italian Walnut & Inlaid 3-Drawer Serpentine Shaped Commode, mid 18th century
Located in Atlanta, GA
An elegant three-drawer Italian commode of serpentine form, crafted in richly figured walnut. The case features a softly undulating, bombé façade with shaped sides, over a molded top...
Walnut
19th Century German Rococo Serpentine Bow Fronted White Painted Commode
Located in Basingstoke, Hampshire
A striking large scale 19th century German Rococo painted commode. Displaying an elegant double bowfront outline, with a gracefully shaped top, raised on charming cabriole feet. Feat...
Oak
18th Century George III Walnut Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This is a mellow late 18th century George III walnut serpentine chest of drawers with rosewood banding. The top with molded edge is over two small and three large graduated drawers ...
Mahogany
20th Century Hekman Burl Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
By Hekman Furniture
Located in Germantown, MD
A late 20th Century Hekman Chippendale Style Burl Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers. Lot of storage in these deep, wide drawers. Beautiful burl veneer patchwork on top. Measures 4...
Mahogany, Burl
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Serpentine Front Bleached Oak Commode
Located in Birmingham, AL
A 19th century French Louis XVI style carved oak commode from Honfleur, the picturesque port town in Normandy known for its half-timbered houses and longstanding woodworking traditio...
Oak
Antique George III period mahogany serpentine chest of drawers
Located in London, GB
A very fine mid-18th Century Chippendale period well-figured mahogany serpentine Chest, having carved canted cornered edged top, above brushing slide & four graduated cockbeaded draw...
Mahogany
$2,560Sale Price|20% Off
Late 19th Century Black Swedish Serpentine 4 Drawer Chest
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Late 19th Century chest of drawers painted in black. This classic Gustavian commode or dresser is a very versatile piece that works well in a foyer, living room or bedroom.
Brass
Antique English 18th Century Mahogany Serpentine Chest Circa 1780
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique English 18th century mahogany serpentine chest, circa 1780.
Mahogany
Antique Edwardian Quality Figured Mahogany Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Suffolk, GB
Antique Edwardian quality figured mahogany serpentine chest of drawers with a brushing slide having a quality figured mahogany serpentine shape top with a moulded edge above a brush...
Other
Antique Painted Serpentine Commode from Southern Germany, 18th C. and Later
Located in Dallas, TX
This antique, painted three-drawer commode has a wonderful serpentine front, accented by angular barbs where the curves meet.
Metal, Bronze
18th Century Carved Ash Dutch Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Hastings, GB
A glorious deeply carved chest of drawers from the Netherlands, late 18th century of Ash and Oak construction, the beautiful serpentine drawers with detailed cast ormolu mounts and d...
Oak
French Serpentine Three Drawer Commode with Faux Marble Top c 1760
Located in Milford, NH
A nice example of a French walnut three drawer commode in serpentine form, with conforming faux marble painted top and decorative hardware, carved paneled corners, a nicely shaped ca...
Metal
18th Century French Régence Period Shapely Serpentine Commode w/Inlay & Carvings
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Régence period serpentine chest, with inlays and relief carved accents, from the 18th century.
Wood
18th-Early 19th Century Georgian Mahogany Serpentine Bedside Chest
Located in Richmond, VA
18th-early 19th century Georgian mahogany serpentine bedside chest with molded top, canted and reeded corners and bracket feet.
Mahogany
Mahogany Hepplewhite Serpentine Chest of Drawers, England, Circa 1770
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An 18th century George III period mahogany Serpentine Chest, having well figured and cross banded top above four long drawers with original brass handles. Flanked by fluted canted...
Mahogany
Baker Furniture Chippendale Mahogany Serpentine Dresser Chest, Newly Refinished
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Georgian or Chippendale style serpentine front dresser or chest of drawers By Baker Furniture, "Historic Charleston Collection" USA, Late 20th century Carved ...
Brass
Italian 1800s Walnut Three-Drawer Serpentine Front Commode with Bronze Hardware
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian walnut commode from the early 19th century, with three drawers, serpentine front and bronze hardware. Created in Italy during the early years of the 19th century, this wal...
Bronze
Magnificent Inlaid Mixed Wood Italian Serpentine Chest of Drawers
Located in Hopewell, NJ
An exceptional quality antique chest of drawers finely hand crafted in Italy in the 19th century, featuring an intricately inlaid top, drawers and sides with birds and dancing figure...
Satinwood, Walnut
Mid 18th Century Mahogany Chippendale Serpentine Knee-Hole Chest
Located in London, GB
A fine mid-18th century well-figured mahogany serpentine knee-hole chest, having crossbanded moulded edged top above various drawers retaining original brass swan-necked handles and ...
Mahogany
$11,200Sale Price / item|20% Off
George III Mahogany Serpentine Dressing Commode w/ Fitted Leather Writing Slide
Located in Milford, NH
Framed triple paneled chamfered backboards. The pattern of this chest conforms to a design for a dressing commode by Gillows of Lancaster made by Thomas Briscoe.
Brass
18th Century Chippendale Period Mahogany Serpentine Knee-Hole Chest
Located in London, GB
A fine mid-18th century well-figured mahogany serpentine Knee-hole chest, having cross-banded moulded edged top above various drawers retaining original brass swan-necked handles and...
Mahogany
20th Century English Antique Edwardian Flame Mahogany Serpentine Chest
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality flame mahogany serpentine chest, having a well figured and cross banded top, above an arrangement of four graduated drawers, each cross banded and inlaid, ...
Mahogany
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
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