Antique French Burl Elmwood Consulat Style Commode, Circa 1880

A stunning commode with bronze dore hardware, this French chest of drawers dates to circa 1875 and is in the Regence style. The beautiful parquetry veneer has a rich sheen and a warm...

Topped by a one-inch thick marble top, this commode has a beautiful mahogany veneer with flame graining and foliate and floral gilt bronze hardware. Hand-carved in France, circa 1820, the stunning chest of drawers is from the Restauration period, which is the transitional era of French history following the first defeat of Napoleon. The gray marble top with white and black veining has a subtle embellishment often seen during the Restauration: rounded front corners. Directly underneath is a drawer with flared tulip molding (molding of Restauration furniture is almost always thin and delicate), with an elaborate rinceaux mount, adorned with a shell, palmettes, and a supple floral swag drop handle. The drawer is segmented into four compartments, allowing the storage of smaller items. Three tiers of taller drawers form the main body, each embellished with a volute leaf keyplate flanked by a pair of swag drop pulls. The apron is also adorned with a lovely bronze mount of a foliate margent with a center rosette that spans between a pair of half-bun feet in the front (the two back feet are blocked). A beautiful example of Restauration period furniture...

Pair of Northern Italian burl walnut commodes. Rectangular top above a conforming case, fitted with four drawers raised on bun feet.

Pair of Louis XVI style commodes attributed to Krieger, in veneered wood and gilded bronze ; opening with three drawers, including one on the belt forming a writing desk and concealing two small side drawers. The commodes are decorated with an interlacing marquetry set with a double net on a green tinted wood background decorated in its center with florets. Rich ornamentation of chiseled and gilded bronzes decorated with acanthus friezes on the belt and garlands of flowers and frieze of posts at the corners, molded frames of water leaves on the side panels. They rest on four fluted feet surmounted by Corinthian capitals, and with a Griotte marble top. These commodes are inspired by those created by Jean-François Leleu delivered by order n° 32 of May 1st, 1773, with a third commode kept in London (Wallace Collection) for the bedroom of the Princesse de Condé at the Palais Bourbon in Paris. The central diamond, originally inlaid with a lily flower pattern, was changed during the Revolution. The pair is now exposed in the Petit Trianon in Versailles (see photo n°1 attached). Jean-François Leleu (1729-1807), Parisian cabinet-maker, began his career as an apprentice in Jean-François Oeben’s workshop. Installed on the chaussée de la Contrescarpe, he became Maître ébéniste in 1764 and moved to rue Royale-Saint-Antoine. He worked for an aristocratic private clientele, including the prince de Condé for whom he delivered furniture between 1772 and 1777, or the comtesse du Barry...