Lot 186
186
THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY COMMODES crossbanded overall in rosewood and tulipwood, the shaped tops centred by a half patera and inlaid with ribbon-tied laurel swags with pendant husks with patera-inlaid frieze centred by a drawer, each with a central door inlaid with neo-classical urn in an oval flanked by ribbon-tied laurel swags and paterae, the sides with foliate roundels, on panelled square tapering legs, one commode with central door enclosing two drawers, the other commode extensively altered with later drawer above a door enclosing two later shelves, flanked by two outer panels now adapted as doors, both with restorations to marquetry

Details
A PAIR OF GEORGE III SATINWOOD AND MARQUETRY COMMODES crossbanded overall in rosewood and tulipwood, the shaped tops centred by a half patera and inlaid with ribbon-tied laurel swags with pendant husks with patera-inlaid frieze centred by a drawer, each with a central door inlaid with neo-classical urn in an oval flanked by ribbon-tied laurel swags and paterae, the sides with foliate roundels, on panelled square tapering legs, one commode with central door enclosing two drawers, the other commode extensively altered with later drawer above a door enclosing two later shelves, flanked by two outer panels now adapted as doors, both with restorations to marquetry
45½in.(115.6cm.)wide; 32¼in.(82cm.)high; 18¼in.(46.5cm.)deep (2)

Lot Essay

The design of this elegant commode with its laural-festooned 'sacred urn' medallion evolved from Robert Adam's 'Etruscan' style of the 1770's and, in particular, the Countess of Derby's elliptical commode embellished with palmette-finialed vases and flowered paterae, illustrated in his Works in Architecture, 1777, pl. VIII, vol. II, no. 1. A commode of this form inlaid with 'Etruscan' tablets and a similar 'pearled' edge to the top, is illustrated P. Macquoid, History of English Furniture, Age of Satinwood, London, 1908, fig. 158

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