An Important Pair of George III Ormolu Mounted Rosewood, Satinwood, Mahogany and Harewood Marquetry Commodes Circa 1770

each cross banded serpentine top centered by a flaming urn on a bracket with draped swags and flanked by scrolling acanthus foliage above a case fitted with three drawers with ribbon tied trailing flowers, the corners of the top and the bottom drawers with interlaced acanthus scrolling leaves, the apron with a meandering flowering vine, the keeled corners fitted with foliate cast mounts and sabot, the sides with drapery swags and tasseled ribbons suspended from scrolling acanthus leaves and headed by palmettes. Variations to size.

Lady Rolls, South Lodge, Knightsbridge

Sotheby’s, London, April 20-23, 1983, lot 823

Property from a Private Collection, Sold Sotheby’s, New York, April 24, 1987, lot 269

Acquired from the above, 1987

 

This interesting pair of commodes is closely related to a group of similarly conceived and ornamented marquetry-inlaid commodes by Pierre Langlois (fl. 1759-1781). Langlois was one of the leading cabinet makers in London in the 1760s and 1770s, his workshop on Tottenham Court Road specializing in case furniture including commodes and tables in the Louis XV and XVI style.  The strong profiles of these pieces not only betrays the French origins of their design, but also, being profusely inlaid with floral marquetry and ornamented with gilt bronze, reveals the influence of contemporary Parisian fashion. The style and technique of his work together with his designs certainly indicate that, even if he was not a Frenchman by birth, he certainly served his apprenticeship in that country.

The present commodes certainly indicate in their form and decoration that their maker was fully aware of contemporary French examples and also possibly the work of Langlois himself. However, although the marquetry decoration is of the highest quality, it is far looser in its overall drawing, lacking the tight profusion of foliate and floral images that categorize Langlois’ own work.  Similarly the serpentine profile of the commodes is far less exuberant than Langlois’ and constructed very much in the English way. This indicates that they were almost certainly made by a well trained London cabinet maker who, until further examples of his work can be identified, must remain anonymous.   

See:

The Connoisseur, December, 1971, February, March, April, May, 1972, ‘Pierre Langlois Ebéniste’, Peter Thornton and William Rieder, parts 1-5

Christie’s, London, December 1, 1977, lot 46, an identical commode with different corner mounts.