A fine and rare pair of German neoclassical Brass and Ormolu-Mounted walnut and hardwood commodes Circa 1780, possibly Berlin

Anonymous sale, Christie's, London, June 21, 2000, lot 130

In excellent overall condition. Well-polished and mounts cleaned. Some old surface marks and small old repairs consistent with age and use.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

These commodes can be compared with the work of the Berlin cabinet-maker Johann Gottlob Fiedler.  Fiedler supplied furniture for  King Wilhelm Friedrich II including a commode formerly in the collection of Catherine, Countess of Clanwilliam, sold, Christie's, London, June 13, 1991, lot 90.  Other commodes known to have been made by Fiedler circa 1780-1785 incorporate similar shaded borders which give the illusion of light falling on them and creating the impression of a relief panel on the drawers.  The short fluted legs headed by rosettes are used on all Fiedler's recorded commodes (including the Clanwilliam example referred to above), and the carved wooden panel around the apron echoes the ormolu mille-raies borders he incorporates in many of his pieces.

Little was known about Fiedler until 1961 when Dr. Franz Windisch-Graetz discovered the inscription Fiedler.fec:1785 on the top of a pair of neoclassical commdoes at Schloss Loosdorf, near Vienna.  He trained with David Roentgen whose influence can be detected in almost all of his work; he was also greatly influenced by the prevailing French fashion of the day which he re-interpreted to create a Berlin court style uniquely Prussian and following in the tradition of the great earlier cabinet-makers Spindler and Johann Melchior Kambli.  The only other piece signed and dated by Fiedler is a bureau cabinet, inscribed in the marquetry J.G. Fiedler Fec:1775 Berlin, in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, illustrated, H. Kreisel and G. Himmelheber, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1973, vol. III, pp. 30-31, fig. 37.  See also a commode in Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin, illustrated, M. Stürmer, Handwerk und höfische Kultur, Munich, 1982, fig. 101.