Lot Essay
THIS ELEGANT SMALL COMMODE IS CONCEIVED IN THE DUTCH LOUIS XV STYLE OF THE EARLY 1770S AND WAS POSSIBLY EXECUTED IN AMSTERDAM. A CLOSELY RELATED EXAMPLE, OF SIMILAR SHAPE AND CONSTRUCTION AND WITH SEVERAL IDENTICAL ORMOLU MOUNTS, IS PART OF THE HISTORIC FURNISHINGS OF A BOARD-ROOM OF AN 18TH CENTURY AMSTERDAM WORK-HOUSE, THE SPIN- EN NIEUWE WERKHUIS IN THE ROETERSSTRAAT, WHICH WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1779 AFTER THE DESIGNS OF THE ARCHITECT ABRAHAM VAN DER HART (1747-1820). A FURTHER, VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL COMMODE, IS STAMPED WITH THE SO-CALLED JG-STAMP, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THE CROWNED COAT-OF-ARMS OF THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM, AND FLANKED BY THE LETTERS J AND G, FOR JOSEFS GILDE, THE ANCIENT AMSTERDAM CABINET-MAKER'S GUILD. THIS STAMP WAS EMPLOYED FOLLOWING A 1771 DECREE, WHICH PUT A BAN ON THE IMPORT OF FURNITURE FROM ABROAD. THE DECREE WAS MAINLY AIMED AGAINST THE IMPORT FROM FRANCE AND MOST ITEMS OF FURNITURE WHICH BEAR THIS STAMP ARE IN FACT FRENCH LOUIS XV OR XVI PIECES. INTERESTINGLY, A SMALL NUMBER OF DUTCH ITEMS OF FURNITURE IN THE FRENCH STYLE ARE STAMPED AS WELL. CONCEIVED IN A VERY CONVINCING FRENCH STYLE, WITH MARBLE TOPS AND ORMOLU MOUNTS, THEY MUST HAVE SEEMED ENTIRELY FRENCH TO THE OFFICIALS WHO APPLIED THE STAMP. (R.J. BAARSEN, 'FRENCH FURNITURE IN AMSTERDAM IN 1771', FURNITURE HISTORY 29(1993), PP. 166-168.)
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