A Louis XV ormolu-mounted Chinese lacquer commode mid 18th century, attributed to I. Dubois

with a molded serpentine-fronted marble top above two long drawers, raised on cabriole legs, headed by ormolu chutes continuing to ormolu sabots; the front and the sides decorated with chinoiserie scenes in tones of gold on a black ground depicting pavilions and figures in a landscape surrounded by molded scrolling ormolu borders cast with foliate motifs and shells and incorporating scrolled handles and keyhole escutcheons.

Collection d'un Amateur Européen, sold Christie's Monaco, June 20, 1992, lot 109.

Sold, Christie's, New York, October 30, 1993, lot 406

Jacques Dubois was one of the most important ébénistes of the Louis XV period.  From his workshop on the Faubourg Saint-Antoine he produced pieces for a number of marchands merciers such as Léger Bertin, solely in the Louis XV style, and he is known to have often designed his own mounts.  His furniture was of excellent quality and he produced luxurious pieces a great many of which were in Chinese or Japanese lacquer.  On his death in 1763, the inventory reveals a number of pieces decorated in such a fashion, and also lists a large stock of ormolu mounts – 432 livres pesant de modèles de bronze, prisés 1 080 L.  This suggests that Dubois was anxious to protect his exclusive use of these models and stocked large quantities of unchased mounts which he kept available for use on his furniture and for supplying to the chaser and gilder. 

Ormolu mounts identical to those on the present commode are found on another example formerly in the Goldschmitdt-Rothschild collection, sold at Christie’s, London, April 12, 1973, lot 84, illustrated, P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIème siècle, Paris 1989, page 268, ill. B. These ormolu mounts also appear on the following commodes: a pair in marquetry from the collection of Victor de Rothschild, sold, Sotheby’s, London April 19, 1937, lot 350.  Another in lacquer from the collection of the Marquis de Ségur, sold Ader, Palais Galliera, Paris March 11, 1975, lot 160; and on another marquetry commode from the Cartier Collection, sold, Sotheby’s, Monaco, November 25, 1979, lot 164.