A matched pair of Transitional gilt-bronze mounted kingwood, tulipwood, amaranth and sycamore parquetry and marquetry commodes by Léonard Boudin, circa 1770

each of breakfront outline the white marble top above two long drawers sans travers, one-remounted, one stamped L. Boudin, the other stamped JME

Lady Deterding;
Thence by family descent

This pair of commodes is in reasonable conserved condition, and is structurally sound. The marble tops with small chips, marks and scratches consistent with age and use. Commode in foreground of catalogue illustration with three small losses and one repair to the top drawer veneer and scratches around the gilt-bronze handles; the bottom drawer with losses to veneer and traces of old repairs. The left return with losses and traces of old securing to parquetry, as well as shrinking cracks, the right return with losses to veneer and one vertical shrinking crack. One loss to front right leg and minor lifting immediately above the front left leg. The green-stained trelliswork marquetry on this commode retains an attractive colour. The gilt-bronze mounts with an attractive patina. Commode in background of catalogue illustration with small losses and repairs to top drawer veneer, and two losses to the bottom drawer. This drawer is in need of some attention since it does not sit flush into the carcase, as visible in the catalogue image. It also displays one loss to veneer. The bottom of the left return with lifting in need of professional attention, the right return with one vertical shrinking crack and one noticeable loss to veneer. The gilt-bronze mount on the front left hand side foot is partly lifted. The apron mount with one part broken and missing. Probably re-mounted.
"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."

Léonard Boudin (1735-1807) received maître 1761.

Comparative literature

Pierre Kjellberg, Le mobilier français du XVIII siècle, Paris, 1998.

Lady Deterding (1904-1980) was the second wife of Sir Henri Wilhelm August Deterding, oil magnate and Director General of Royal Dutch-Shell. Lady Deterding or Lydia Pavlovna Kondoyarova, a Russian by birth, was a close friend of the Romanov and the Yusupov families. When she settled in Neuilly and later on Avenue Foch, she filled her house with beautiful paintings, furniture and works of art(for more information on the Lady Deterding collection please see Connoisseur, French edition, Des chefs-d'oeuvre pour decor quotidien, December 1962, p. 59). During her years of marriage to Sir Henri, she dedicated a considerable part of her life to helping Russian émigrés.

The design of this matched pair of commodes, with its outline à ressaut and cabriole legs, is typical of the Transitional period between the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Both were most likely retailed by the marchand-ébéniste Léonard Boudin, whose stamp appears on one, and who had started his career as an apprentice to the celebrated ébéniste Pierre Migeon. Renowned for the great quality of his marquetry panels, Boudin opened his own atelier in 1762, and started commissioning works from other first-rate ébénistes such as Cosson, Denizot, Foullet and Topino, although he did not give up his own production.

The distinctive rosette and cube parquetry within a floral trelliswork frame, however, relates them to a particular group of commodes attributable to Jacques Laurent Cosson (1737-1812, maître 1765). These include a pair stamped by Cosson, sold Paris, Galerie Charpentier, 8 December 1954, lot 165, another one also stamped Cosson sold Koller Zurich, 15 September 2008, lot 1166, and two other attributed commodes, one stamped Boudin, the other Macret, sold Christie’s Paris, 30 March 2004, lot 353, and 1 June 2005, lot 290 respectively. For the gilt-bronze mounts, which would probably have come from Boudin’s stock, see another Transitional commode stamped Boudin sold Sotheby’s New York, 24 May 2007, lot 319.