Lot Essay
THE ORNAMENT
The marquetry top, shaped to the commode's tripartite and cut-cornered frame, is recessed at the ends and on either side of the central section. Trompe l'oeil sprigs flower its spandrels, while a laurelled ribbon wreathes a tulip-centred bouquet in a Roman octagon mosaic compartment.
On the faade, a plinth-supported, vase-shaped and open-fretted basket of flowers is displayed between tulip-centred posies, and additional posies decorate the sides. At the angles, scalloped patterae with husk-festoons embellish the pilasters and their serpentined feet, while the frieze is festooned with laurel 'baguettes' accompanying a Doric 'bucranium' skull that recalls the Roman temple of Jupiter and Andrea Palladio's Four Books of Architecture.
The ormolu enrichments, accompanying a ribbon-guilloche band, originally comprised flowered patterae suspended beneath the inlaid ribbon-bows together with Roman acanthus wrapping the feet.
Its elegant 'antique' form reflects the Parisian fashion promoted in the 1760s by bnistes such as Pierre Antoine Foullet (matre bniste l765); while its floral ornament harmonises with contemporary fashionable taste for abundantly flowered Gobelins tapestry upholstery.
RELATED COMMODES
This commode pattern may have been invented for Carton, Ireland as part of the aggrandisement of the County Kildare mansion carried out by James, 20th Earl of Kildare following his elevation to the Dukedom of Leinster in l766. A closely related commode (see illustration), retaining its ormolu band of Roman acanthus ribbon-twist, was sold from Carton by the Duke of Leinster, in these Rooms, 13 May l926, lot 107.
Another closely related commode, sold by Mrs. Edward Mitchell, in these Rooms, 21 May 1970, lot 113, bore the trade label of the firm of P.J. Walsh & Sons, 'Cabinet Makers, Upholsterers, Auctioneers, Valuators and Undertakers', who traded from l870 to l922 at Bachelors Walk, Dublin. They advertised 'Large stocks of First-Class Modern and Genuine Antique Furniture'. They also restored furniture (see The Knight of Glin, 'Dublin Directories and Trade Labels', Furniture History, l985, p. 272).
A related commode, with this shaped top, flowered spandrels, the 'Carton' pattern handles and inlay of tulip-centred sprigs and bouquet, was in the possession of Temple Williams in l955, and was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 24 June 1976, lot 115. Another related commode with 'flower basket' top and 'flower-vase' faade was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 10 April 1986, lot 123 (see L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 145, no. 13, fig 142).
The marquetry top, shaped to the commode's tripartite and cut-cornered frame, is recessed at the ends and on either side of the central section. Trompe l'oeil sprigs flower its spandrels, while a laurelled ribbon wreathes a tulip-centred bouquet in a Roman octagon mosaic compartment.
On the faade, a plinth-supported, vase-shaped and open-fretted basket of flowers is displayed between tulip-centred posies, and additional posies decorate the sides. At the angles, scalloped patterae with husk-festoons embellish the pilasters and their serpentined feet, while the frieze is festooned with laurel 'baguettes' accompanying a Doric 'bucranium' skull that recalls the Roman temple of Jupiter and Andrea Palladio's Four Books of Architecture.
The ormolu enrichments, accompanying a ribbon-guilloche band, originally comprised flowered patterae suspended beneath the inlaid ribbon-bows together with Roman acanthus wrapping the feet.
Its elegant 'antique' form reflects the Parisian fashion promoted in the 1760s by bnistes such as Pierre Antoine Foullet (matre bniste l765); while its floral ornament harmonises with contemporary fashionable taste for abundantly flowered Gobelins tapestry upholstery.
RELATED COMMODES
This commode pattern may have been invented for Carton, Ireland as part of the aggrandisement of the County Kildare mansion carried out by James, 20th Earl of Kildare following his elevation to the Dukedom of Leinster in l766. A closely related commode (see illustration), retaining its ormolu band of Roman acanthus ribbon-twist, was sold from Carton by the Duke of Leinster, in these Rooms, 13 May l926, lot 107.
Another closely related commode, sold by Mrs. Edward Mitchell, in these Rooms, 21 May 1970, lot 113, bore the trade label of the firm of P.J. Walsh & Sons, 'Cabinet Makers, Upholsterers, Auctioneers, Valuators and Undertakers', who traded from l870 to l922 at Bachelors Walk, Dublin. They advertised 'Large stocks of First-Class Modern and Genuine Antique Furniture'. They also restored furniture (see The Knight of Glin, 'Dublin Directories and Trade Labels', Furniture History, l985, p. 272).
A related commode, with this shaped top, flowered spandrels, the 'Carton' pattern handles and inlay of tulip-centred sprigs and bouquet, was in the possession of Temple Williams in l955, and was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 24 June 1976, lot 115. Another related commode with 'flower basket' top and 'flower-vase' faade was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 10 April 1986, lot 123 (see L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 145, no. 13, fig 142).