Lot Essay
The commode's facade is serpentined in the French 'picturesque' manner and is inlaid with an oval-flowered medallion within a marble-like tablet. This is banded by voluted ribbons springing from Roman-acanthus sprays and headed by Venus' shell badge. The corners are enriched with golden flowered cartouches, acanthus scrolls and husk-festoons which also divide the medallion's festive trophy of paired flower-sprays displayed above triumphal crossed-palms.
Its general form, mounts and other features relate to a commode, with musical-trophy inlay, in the Victoria & Albert Museum (no. W.88-1924) discussed with a group of commodes attributed to John Cobb (d. 1778) of St. Martin's Lane, cabinet-maker to King George III (see: L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 94, no. XII). However, its marquetry relates to that of a group of commodes illustrated in A. Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, figs. 43-45 which are now attributed to Mayhew and Ince
Its general form, mounts and other features relate to a commode, with musical-trophy inlay, in the Victoria & Albert Museum (no. W.88-1924) discussed with a group of commodes attributed to John Cobb (d. 1778) of St. Martin's Lane, cabinet-maker to King George III (see: L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 94, no. XII). However, its marquetry relates to that of a group of commodes illustrated in A. Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, figs. 43-45 which are now attributed to Mayhew and Ince