Gervais-Maximilien-Eugène Durand French, 1839 - 1920 A fine Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted mahogany and Japanese lacquer commode à l'anglaise circa 1885, after the celebrated model by Martin Carlin

surmounted by a carrara marble top, the three taka-maki-e lacquer panel inset cupboard doors opening to a single shelf, the back of the carcass stamped twice G. DURAND.

Daniel Alcouffe, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, Vol. I, Dijon, 1993, p. 239, no. 74, for the original model by Martin Carlin 

Overall in good condition and presentation with the usual minor nicks and hairline scratches consistent with age and use. Light to moderate tarnishing to gilt bronze overall, consistent with age and atmospheric conditions over the years. The marble has no repairs, areas of very light brown darkening, and usual minute chips to edges, and light scratches to the surface consistent with age and placing of objects. One or two of the legs have minor veneer lifting. The lacquer panels are in good condition, with a few minor scuffs.
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.

The present commode is a fine and faithful recreation, by a celebrated ébéniste, of the commode à encoignures Martin Carlin supplied to the Marquise de Brunoy between 1775-1780. The commode was confiscated from the Hôtel de Brunoy during the Revolution in 1802, and moved to the Château de Saint-Cloud, where it remained until 1870 when it was transferred to the Louvre (inv. OA 5472). The fine Japanese lacquer panels inset into this commode date from the Meiji period (1868-1912), and bear the symbol, or mon, known as the "Paulownia", a crest indicating a high official, or a prime minister.

Durand was born in Paris on 30th July 1839 and began work in 1870 at 12 rue de La Cerisaie. He later moved to the more fashionable rue St. Antoine where most of the prestigious cabinet makers of the time settled their workshops. He was the first of three generations of highly successful cabinet makers, exhibiting widely at the International Exhibitions. At the 1889 Exhibition in Paris, he was commended as, un ébéniste aussi habile que modeste, qui expose pour la premième fois des meubles de premier ordre, dont il est à la fois le dessinateur et l'exécutant; il marche sur la voie tracée par les maîtres tels que Beurdeley et Dasson.