Lot Essay
A series of almost identical commodes made in the late 1770's by J. H. Riesener, the celebrated ébeniste to Queen Marie Antoinette, may have served as the model for this commode. These include one delivered in 1778 for the Cabinet Intérieur du Roi at Fontainbleau and now in the Oesterreichisches Museum, Vienna and another delivered in 1777 for the bedroom of Madame Elisabeth, youngest sister of Louis XVI, at Versailles and now in the James A. de Rothschild Collection, Waddesdon Manor, England. Two other almost identical commodes sold by Christie's in 1882 at separate sales are now also at Waddesdon. One of these deliverd in 1776 for the bedroom of the Countess de Provence, wife of Monsieur the King's eldest brother, at Versailles, was sold from the Collection of the 12th Duke of Hamilton, Christie's, 17 June-20 July 1882, lot 528. This was illustrated in the sale catalogue and presumuably inspired the copies made in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century
A commode, identical but with marquetry panel in reverse and also dating from the late 19th Century and formerly in the Collection of Kaiser Wilhelm, is at Huis Doorn, Netherlands
A commode, identical but with marquetry panel in reverse and also dating from the late 19th Century and formerly in the Collection of Kaiser Wilhelm, is at Huis Doorn, Netherlands