Dalva Brothers Antiques, Antique Furniture, New York

French 18th century furniture, clocks, lighting, paintings, porcelain, sculpture and tapestries

Louis XIV bois corail commode with bronze-doré mounts. The commode, en tombeau is composed of four rows of bow fronted drawers, with two rows of full drawers in the middle, with half drawers on the bottom, and three drawers in the frieze.  The drawers are mounted with ormoulu frames, escutcheons and drop handles.  The large chutes are the form of female mascarons with stylized feather crowns.  Each side is centered with a large ormoulu rosette within ormoulu framed panels.  The commode is veneered in bois corail;  including the top, usually in marble on French commodes, which is inlaid with large sunburst motifs.  The bronzes have their original gilding. [Minor replacements.]

The commode is attributed to Mathieu Chevallier based on an article that appeared the April 1999 issue of L’Estampille/L’Objet d’Art on the Chevallier dynasty of cabinetmakers. Two slightly later commodes are illustrated that have nearly identical chutes and side rosettes. The top of one has a very similar veneered top.