Lot Essay
Etienne Doirat (circa 1675-1732)
The overall form, amaranth parquetry and choice of mounts of this commode are recurrent features throughout the oeuvre of Etienne Doirat, who is distinguished as one of the few ébénistes of the Regence period to occasionally stamp his pieces. Moreover, as a result of the inventory taken following his death in 1732, which effectively discloses that Doirat kept exclusive control of his bronze mounts, not only retaining the the lead models but also the unchased mounts and finished examples, it is possible to attribute cetain pieces on the basis of the mounts. This inventory further reveals that Doirat was making two-drawer commodes of this type, described as 'commodes à la Regence' by 1732 (J.-D. Augarde, 'Etienne Doirat, Menuisier en ébéne', J. Paul Getty Museum, vol. 13, 1985, pp. 33-52).
The overall form, amaranth parquetry and choice of mounts of this commode are recurrent features throughout the oeuvre of Etienne Doirat, who is distinguished as one of the few ébénistes of the Regence period to occasionally stamp his pieces. Moreover, as a result of the inventory taken following his death in 1732, which effectively discloses that Doirat kept exclusive control of his bronze mounts, not only retaining the the lead models but also the unchased mounts and finished examples, it is possible to attribute cetain pieces on the basis of the mounts. This inventory further reveals that Doirat was making two-drawer commodes of this type, described as 'commodes à la Regence' by 1732 (J.-D. Augarde, 'Etienne Doirat, Menuisier en ébéne', J. Paul Getty Museum, vol. 13, 1985, pp. 33-52).