{"product_id":"french-kingwood-vernis-martin-gilt-bronze-commode-c-1880","title":"A Fine French Louis XV Revival Kingwood, Gilt-Bronze and Vernis Martin Commode, Paris, circa 1885–1900","description":"\u003ch3\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA particularly fine \u003cstrong\u003eFrench Louis XV Revival kingwood and gilt-bronze mounted commode\u003c\/strong\u003e, dating to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, circa 1880–1890, and centred by an impressive \u003cstrong\u003eVernis Martin style painted fête galante scene\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe commode is of elegant bombé form, the serpentine front fitted with two drawers \u003cstrong\u003esans traverse\u003c\/strong\u003e, allowing the painted composition and surrounding gilt-bronze decoration to flow continuously across the façade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichly figured veneers are arranged throughout the front and sides, framed by an extensive scheme of finely modelled gilt-bronze foliate mounts. The cabinet is raised on slender cabriole legs terminating in decorative sabots and is surmounted by a substantial shaped breccia marble top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFine French Louis XV Revival commode\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLast quarter of the nineteenth century, circa 1880–1890\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRichly figured kingwood veneers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo bombé drawers arranged sans traverse\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarge Vernis Martin style painted central scene\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtensive gilt-bronze foliate mounts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinely mounted front and side panels\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShaped serpentine façade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElegant cabriole legs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecorative gilt-bronze sabots\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubstantial shaped breccia marble top\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParisian Louis XV Revival design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCraftsmanship \u0026amp; Detail\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quality of the decorative treatment is immediately apparent. A large painted scene occupies the centre of the two drawer fronts, depicting elegantly dressed figures gathered within a romantic landscape in the eighteenth-century \u003cstrong\u003efête galante\u003c\/strong\u003e tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than treating each drawer separately, the maker conceived the façade as a single decorative composition. The scene continues across the two drawers and is enclosed within an elaborate cartouche of scrolling gilt-bronze foliage, creating the appearance of a framed painting integrated directly into the furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurther gilt-bronze mounts extend across the kingwood ground, with richly modelled foliate ornament to the corners, drawer surrounds and shaped lower apron. The curving side panels are similarly enriched, demonstrating that the decorative scheme was intended to be appreciated from several viewpoints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cabinet stands on four slender cabriole supports, the front legs terminating in scrolling gilt-bronze sabots. Above, the shaped marble top follows the serpentine outline of the carcass and provides a substantial architectural finish to the piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVernis Martin Decoration\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painted decoration belongs to the nineteenth-century revival of \u003cstrong\u003eVernis Martin\u003c\/strong\u003e, a decorative tradition closely associated with luxurious eighteenth-century French furniture and revived by leading Parisian cabinetmakers during the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScenes of fashionable figures, pastoral landscapes and romantic gatherings were particularly well suited to the highly decorative Louis XV Revival furniture made for wealthy European and international interiors during the Belle Époque.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWorkshop Number\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse of the commode bears a stencilled \u003cstrong\u003e“489”\u003c\/strong\u003e. The significance of this number has not presently been established and it may represent a workshop, stock, assembly or inventory reference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo definitive maker's stamp has been located, and the commode is therefore catalogued conservatively as a high-quality French work of the last quarter of the nineteenth century rather than attributed to a specific Parisian workshop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCollector's Note\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an especially attractive example of late nineteenth-century French Louis XV Revival furniture, combining the rich colour and movement of kingwood, the sculptural quality of extensive gilt-bronze ornament and the decorative appeal of a large painted Vernis Martin composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts generous proportions, uninterrupted painted façade and unusually extensive mounting give the commode considerably greater presence than many standard examples of the period, making it an excellent statement piece for both traditional and contemporary interiors.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hawkins Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64461876855161,"sku":null,"price":4200.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/6633\/8937\/files\/DSCF7918.jpg?v=1788360139","url":"https:\/\/hawkinsantiques.com\/products\/french-kingwood-vernis-martin-gilt-bronze-commode-c-1880","provider":"Hawkins Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}