A Large 19th Century Carved Oak Commode from France

This unusual two-drawer walnut commode with iron pulls from France exudes charm. Hand-carved from walnut wood in the 1800s, the chest of drawers has a sinuous form. The arbalete fron...

In French, arbalete means “crossbow” and is typically used to describe the shape of furniture when the frontage has been carved in a sinuous manner. When the profile is viewed from above, it resembles the European Medieval crossbow. In the case of this walnut commode from Provence, the form is double arbalete. Two iron swag handles are affixed to each of the three stacked drawers by parted shell mounts. In between the pulls is a sinuous plate that surrounds a keyhole. Each drawer maintains the arbalete structure created by the thinly molded top. The apron is highly shaped, with many small arbaletes strung together. In the center is a gadrooned leaf and floret medallion surrounded by volute scrolls. The sides are straight but consist of recessed rectangular panels with asymmetrical tops...

The straight grain and rich color of the cherry tree made it a desirable wood for constructing luxury furniture during the 18th century. One beautiful example is our period Louis XIV commode, which was hand-carved in France in the early 1700’s. Augmenting the lovely reddish-brown color of the commode is an arbalete top that slightly hangs over the three stacked drawers below. Each drawer has three bronze foliate fittings set inside geometric panels with recessed molding (two pierced foliate swag pulls flanking a small keyplate surrounded by a parted leaf). There is a unique, shallow pullout drawer with two concentric circle pulls built into the molded frieze. This drawer was most likely used to store jewelry and other small valuables. Canted corners can be seen along the front of the shaped top, with elongated asymmetrical panels beneath that flank the tiers of drawers...

An en tombeau is a type of commode with three tiers of drawers and short legs. Our walnut wood chest of drawers was hand-carved in Provence, France d...

A real beauty! Solid light oak three-drawer commode/dresser with highly decorative hardware.

Carved walnut 19th century french provincial commode circa 1850. Stunning example of a mid-19th century french walnut provincial commode. 3 drawers with profusely carved in rosewood...

Parisian Oak Commodes, 19th Century A refined expression of 19th-century French craftsmanship, this pair of Parisian oak commodes embodies the understated elegance of urban French i...

French 19th Century commode with old handles in later paint. Circa 1860.