A gilt-bronze-mounted tortoiseshell and brass contre-partie boulle marquetry commode attributed to Nicholas Sageot (1666-1731) Louis XIV, circa 1710

with a bowed top above a central short drawer applied with a gilt-bronze ram's mask flanked on either side by a short drawer above three long drawers, the escutcheons cast with a ribbon-tied espagnolette mask, the corners with a further female mask, raised on addorsed c-scroll feet, the top elaborately inlaid with scrolls, tendrils and strapwork, the drawers and sides inlaid with flower-filled vases and foliate scrollwork, the sides applied with a gilt-bronze mount with a seated neo-classical figure representing Astronomy

A European Private Collector

In overall good original condition. An impressive model with superb quality inlay especially to the top and gilt-bronze mounts. The colour of the brass is less greenish and slightly darker and more attractive than in the catalogue photograph. The top and drawers have a tortoiseshell ground and the sides an ebony ground. There are old very minor marks, chips and scratches throughout commensurate with age and normal useage. There are some very minor dents and pitting to brass inlay as visible from the photographs. There are also some very minor restorations to the inlay. The gilt-bronze mounts are beautifully cast and chased but they are slightly dirty and the gilding is worn in places. There are some very minor hairline cracks in the ebony veneer which is usual and commensurate with age as visible from the catalogue photograph on p. 110. There is a small vertical crack towards the edge of the back as visible also from the same photograph which can be left.The ebony veneered friezes on the sides are probably later replacements. The rear feet have later blocks to the rear and the front feet have been reblocked. There is a later batten beneath the top and a small rectantangular piece cut out from the back of both drawers to ease the movement and a small drilled whole in the back of each drawer.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Peter Fuhring,'Design into Art: Drawings for Architecture and Ornament, The Lodewijk Houthakker Collection, Vol. I, London, 1989, p. 370, fig. 577.
Pierre Grand, Le Mobilier Boulle et les Ateliers de l'Epoque, L'Estampille/L'Objet d'art, February 1993, pp. 48-70.
Peter Hughes, The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture, London, 1996, Vol II, pp. 658-662, no. 141 (F407), p. 639, no. 137 (F39).
This magnificent and visually arresting boulle commode with its exquisitely inlaid top is attributable to Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731), as it has strong similarities to other pieces either stamped by or attributable to him. It is part of a group of boulle commodes which traditionally have always been attributed to another of his contemporaries Noël Gérard. However, the discovery of Sageot's stamp in 1999, on the Clumber Park commode, see post, has resulted in the conclusion that he has been responsible for this group of boulle commodes and not Gérard. Furthermore, other factors lead one to this conclusion including the increased importance of the marchand-merciers in the early years of the 18th century. Also as Sageot and Gérard were dealers aswell as ébénistes, it is reasonable to assume that they sub-contracted either the whole or part of the production of these commodes to other marqueteers.
One of the most unusual features of this commode is the ram's mask mount on the front which appears to be unique as it has not been found to date on any other of his commodes on the front, only on the angles. Intriguingly, there is a drawing attributed to the circle of Gilles-Marie Oppenordt (another contemporary of André-Charles Boulle) illustrated by Peter Fuhring op. cit., p. 370, fig. 577, with a chute surmounted by a ram's head, which was almost certainly destined to embellish a piece of furniture, as on the front of the offered piece-reproduced here in fig. 3. The distinctive rams' heads and foliate volutes can be also be seen in the frontispiece of book ten of the oeuvres de G. M. Oppendordt, as engraved by Huquier, and are consequently repeated, with minor variations, throughout his career.  Furthermore, the scrolling foliate and arabesque marquetry top is unusual as usually Sageot's tops have Berainesque designs after prints by the latter with mythological or allegorical scenes. However, this top brings to mind the boulle marquetry tops normally found on commodes by other exponents of metal marquetry such as André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), or Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt (c.1693-1715). 

The Nicholas Sageot Attribution:
This commode is of a model which Grand, op. cit., cites no fewer than fourty examples which have been recorded in modern day collections. Furthermore, the marqueteur Toussaint Devoye, who was close to Sageot both personally and professionally, was known to have manufactured boulle marquetry panels. This group of commodes have similar marquetry on the front and sides with the variation being in the design of the tops and the gilt-bronze mounts.

As already stated, this group were traditionally attributed to Noel Gérard on the basis of similarities with a palissander commode stamped NG of identical design formerly in the collection of Madame Camoin, sold in Paris in 1987 and two other marquetry commodes, one sold Sotheby's, Monaco on 23rd June 1983, lot 290 and the other sold on 13th June 1906, from the Kotschoubey collection. It is worthwhile noting that many of these commodes have the same mounts and Gérard kept his own stock which would support the theory that the finished inlaid carcasses were delivered for fitting with his own mounts to personalise and then sell them.

There is a commode from this group stamped N Sageot closest in the design of the marquetry on the top and the gilt-bronze mounts to those upon this commode, which was formerly in the collection of the Hon. the Earl of Lincoln at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. It has the same espagnolette and handle mounts, marquetry panels of the same design on the front, however, different marquetry on the sides (sold Christie's, 16th December 1999, lot 50 (£287,500))-reproduced here in fig.1. This commode is the only one to this date recorded as stamped by Sageot.

At the time of writing of Grand's article, op. cit., only four pieces stamped by Sageot in red tortoiseshell and brass were known to exist:
-a kneehole writing table stamped by Sageot in the Royal Collection Stockholm, see Grand, op. cit., p.50, figs. 2 & 3.
-a pair of bas d'armoires stamped by Sageot, sold Christie's, Monaco, 5th December 1992, lot 53.
-two armoires, the first stamped Nicolas Sageot, sold at Versailles in March 1988 and in Paris in December 1988, the second stamped N.S. sold at Christie's, London as lot 65, 17th June 1985.

Other pieces stamped by Sageot since the above article by Grand seem to include mainly bibliothèques:
-a boulle bibliothèque stamped eight times NS for Nicholas Sageot, with an identical mount on the front of Astronomy identical to that on the side of this commode, sold Christie's, London from the collection of M. et Mme Françoise, 9th June 2011, lot 81 (£133,250).
-a pair of boulle bibliothèques stamped Nicholas Sageot once, and NS six times, with an identical mount of Astronomy on the front,sold Christie's, Paris, 13th December 2006, lot 181.
-a rare pair of boulle marquetry bibliothèques signed NS, sold Sotheby's, New York, 25th May 2000, lot 322 ($300,000).
-a boulle bibliothèque stamped N. Sageot four times, sold Sotheby's, Monaco, 18th June 1999, lot 32 (1,000,000E) 

Sageot was one of the first ébénistes to stamp his pieces. The production identified as that of Sageot demonstrates that he was particularly active and much appreciated by the general public amongst the circle of ébénistes working in metal marquetry in the faubourg Saint-Antoine. His marquetry is often repetitive since it was based upon cartoons but always elegant, according to Ronfort, op. cit. The bronzes were often those of other masters bearing testament to the fact that he did not own his own models. 

It is also worthwhile considering a première-partie boulle marquetry commode in Wallace collection, illustrated by Hughes, op. cit., p. 659 and 661, reproduced here in fig.1.  It has the same mount of Astronomy on the side as on the offered commode. Hughes  op. cit., states that the Earl of Craven had a similar commode with the same mount. However, the mount of Astronomy is a model found on other pieces of early 18th century furniture and Hughes op. cit., states that it is found on pieces by makers such as Sageot and also Ellaume, so this alone cannot form the basis for attributing the Wallace commode to a particular maker. Also see a contre-partie boulle marquetry commode in the Wallace collection, illustrated by Hughes, op. cit., p. 639, which he states was probably made by Nicholas Sageot, although of different outline and design of the marquetry to that on the offered commode, has identical ribboned female mask escutcheon mounts. 

The design of the top and ram's mask mount:
The design of the top is most unusual and brings to mind the work of the celebrated ébéniste and marqueteur in metal Alexandre–Jean Oppenordt (1639-1715). It is also worthwhile considering a boulle commode attributed to him, after designs by his son Gilles-Marie Oppenordt, with a château de Bercy Provenance, offered for sale Christie's, London 15^th June 1995, lot 50. The same foliate scrolls on the top of that commode can be seen in the wooden floor of the King of Sweden's State Coach made by Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt in 1696. The Bercy commode also has a ram's mask at the angles.

In this regard  one should also consider a contre-partie commode by Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt, with a similar top and ram's mask at the angles top those upon this commode, sold Sotheby's Paris, 23rd March 2006, lot 63. It was dated to around circa 1700-1710, and belongs to a group of three similar commodes, one of which was in the Gustave Rothschild collection then by descent to Sybil Sasson, marquis of Chomondeley, sold Christie's, London, 9th December 1994, lot 545, see post; the other the Bercy commode see ante; one in the Baron van Hoorn collection, sold lot 588, 19th November  1809: `un meuble à quatre gaines, garnies de têtes de bélier, ouvrant à trois tiroirs sur le devant ....'. Furthermore, in the Paris sale catalogue in 2006, the comparison was made to the design of the top of a bureau in première -partie boulle marquetry by A.-J. Oppenordt for Louis XIV, now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (inv. 1986.365.3).

Comparable contre-partie boulle marquetry commodes:

-one sold Sotheby's, Paris, 23rd March 2006, lot 63 which has also ram's head on the top of the angles and a similar top, mentioned ante.

-one attributed to Noel Gérard, with idental handles and similar escutcheon mounts, with an associated marble top, sold in these Rooms, 11th December 2002, lot 33.

-one attributed to Gérard, with similar marquetry on the drawer fronts, differently mounted, sold from the collection of 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine, K.T., in these Rooms, 13th June 2001, lot 253.

-one attributed to Sageot, with similar marquetry on the drawer fronts, identical handles and similar escutcheon mounts and feet, originally with P. Zervudachi, sold in these Rooms, 14th December 2000, lot 320 (£168,750).

--the `Pigot commode', with similar marquetry on the drawer fronts and feet mounts, with a marble top, although unattributed, sold in these Rooms, from Stokesey Court, Shropshire, 28th September 1998, lot 154.

-one unattributed, with similar marquetry on the drawer fronts and similar feet and identical handle mounts, formerly in the collection of the Duchesse de Talleyrand, Palais Rose, sold Sotheby's, New York 21st May 1992, lot 69 ($350,000).

-one with similar marquetry on the drawers, espagnolette and handle mounts, sold from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Keck, La Lanterne, Bel Air, California, Sotheby's, New York, 5th-6th December 1991, lot 245 ($340,000).

Finally it is worthwhile considering a commode by Boulle, sold Christie's, London, 8th December 1994, lot 545, (£265,000) formerly in the collection of Baron Gustave de Rothschild, Paris, with a  very similarly inlaid top with scrolling foliage and arabesques.  

Another commode of this type is in the collection of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon at Goodwood House, Sussex.

Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731), received Master 1706:
He was born in Samaize-les Bains and appears to have become active around 1690 and is first recorded as working in Grande rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine in 1698 where, before being accepted by the cabinet-makers guild, he had worked as an ouvrier libre. He married, in 1711, Marie Brigitte Roussel, the daughter of the ébéniste Jacques Roussel and his workshop appeared to prosper until around 1720, when he stopped working and sold his stock. His production seems to have principally consisted of important armoires, commodes and bureaux.
He entered into a commercial arrangement with Léonard Prieur, Marchand Mercier Grossier joaillier Priviligié suivant la Cour', on  26th July 1720. As a result of this, he sold furniture and various materials to him for 16000 livres; the armoires, priced from 400 to 1000 livres were the most expensive pieces (see Grand op. cit.,).  Upon the death of his wife, in 1729, the inventory of their workshop records an important stock of brass and tortoiseshell.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Other marqueteurs working for Sageot:
The marqueteur Toussaint Devoye was a friend of Sageot's and the two men also had a business relationship. Toussaint probably supplied Sageot with marquetry but also supplied another cabinet-maker, Pierre Moulin, who was also connected with Sageot. Moulin had purchased part of Sageot's inventory in 1720, consisting of a stock of wood when Sageot retired. Moulin was in partnership in this transaction with his brother-in-law Claude-François Mainguet. Moulin had seven workshops at the time of his death and had enjoyed a thriving business specialising in brass and tortoiseshell marquetry and his success stemmed in part from his connection to Noël Gérard, his brother-in-law, whose work is similar in some respects to that of Sageot.