Large Gray Painted Commode, Italy circa 1800

Large rococo oak chest of 4 drawers with serpentine front resting on cabriolet feet. The four drawers each have 2 brass pulls and key ho...

This large antique rococo chest of four drawers features panels on each drawer, carved skirt, brass hardware pulls and rests on cabriolet feet. It has been given an exceptional new p...

A small oak rococo chest of three drawers with brass key escutcheons. The scalloped edge is carried down through the 3 drawer fronts and bottom apron resulting in an elegant chest al...

This antique rococo large oak chest of drawers features a serpentine front, brass hardware pulls and is raised on a scalloped skirt base. The newer, professionally applied and layere...

The rectangular inlaid top above five drawers raised on square tapered legs

This mahogany commode has the fluted rails and canted corners typical of case furniture made along the coasts of the Baltic and North Seas around 1800. More difficult to pinpoint, however, is the exact place of its making, since this geographical region stretches from Germany to Russia, and north from Poland to Scandinavia. That said, a strikingly similar, if slightly plainer commode in a private German collection bears an old paper label that identifies it as having been made in the city of Altona. It also bears the seal of King Christian VII of Denmark who reigned until 1808. At the time, Altona was in the independent Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, located between Denmark and Prussia. Both nations tried to annex the Duchy, and in 1848 it was ceded to Prussia, which became part of Germany in 1871. A North Sea port, Altona was a member of the Hanseatic League, an association of seaports that was established in the 14th century to foster trade and police the high seas. Around 1800, the aforementioned King Christian of Denmark, who was also the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, allowed Jews to freely settle in Altona to increase the tax base. This allowed them to conduct business in neighboring Hamburg, a larger financial hub that maintained quotas. The prosperous Jewish families of Altona built villas there, and decorated them with furnishings that were made locally and imported. Many of those makers owned copies of furniture-pattern books, which were widely disseminated among these seaports, accounting for the difficulty in determining if a piece was made in Altona, Stockholm, or St. Petersburg. We can’t trace our commode to a Danish king or a known Altona merchant, but we can link it to the New World empire builders...

Full of vintage charm and elegant curves, this French Provincial-style chest of drawers brings timeless character to any space. Painted in a soft gray with a gently distressed finish...

Antique French Provincial Commode Circa 1800