Rare 18th Century French Kingwood Commode

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About the Item

An extremely rare French early 18th century kingwood two-drawer bombe shaped Louis XV (1740) commode of bold proportions, stamped, possibly by Joseph F Oeben. This commode consists of an original finely figured, shaped and moulded Rosso levanto marble top: this is a precious variety of marble that has been quarried for many years, the Romans having used this marble particularly for floors and columns. As with this top this variety of marble typically has a blood-red background with white veins turning to purple red. The front of the commode consists of two large bombe shape drawers, oak lined, with a combination of both parquetry and marquetry decoration. Each drawer has two Fine quality ormolu handles, all stamped, of typical Rococo design. The top drawer has a large escutcheon plate again of Rococo design, the bottom drawer having a smaller similar plate with a large central ormolu Rococo design mount beneath. The commode has four cabriole legs of bold design with Rococo ormolu mounts running from the top to the bottom of the front legs. The side panels are of serpentine and bombe form with Fine quality parquetry and marquetry designs. There is evidence of a makers mark to the top rail of the base, this is difficult to decipher but possibly looks like 'J O'. These initials could be linked to the famous German cabinet maker Joseph F Oeben (1720-1763). Joseph Oeben moved from Germany to France and arrived in Paris in the late 1740s where he worked under Charles Boulle. This piece does have similarities to German furniture of a similar period with the bold design and the marquetry work. If this piece is by Joseph Oeben it would have been an early piece from him as this dates from circa 1740. Later in his life he worked for The Louvre and became the Royal cabinetmaker working for Madame de Pompadour as well as various French Aristocracy. Today his pieces can be seen in many museums and exclusive collections throughout the world. This commode is a rare and sophisticated piece for the period and is bold in design, it is in excellent original condition for its age and can go straight into a home or collection. The commode was purchased from a private collection in Norfolk, England having been purchased some 35-40 years ago by the previous owner. This piece was bought along with the South German cabinet-on-Stand. Items of this quality seldom come on to the open market.

Similar to:
Jean-François Oeben (Cabinetmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 61.5 in (156.21 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)
Style:
Louis XV (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Kingwood,Marble
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1740-1749
Date of Manufacture:
1740
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Suffolk, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: LVS5401stDibs: LU104902173532