Two other commodes of this rare model are known, both in contre-partie:- one, thought to come from the château de Bercy, was sold anonymously at Christie's, Geneva, 18 November 1974, lot 57: the other was sold anonymously in these Rooms, 13 June 1991, lot 88. However, the Bercy commode is differently mounted - the ormolu border of the top is cast with foliage, rather than being plain, the drawer frames are narrower and less rich, and the escutcheons are cast with shells rather than espagnolette masks
The mounts relate to the documentated oeuvre of André-Charles Boulle, appointed Ebéniste, Ciseleur, Doreur et Sculpteur du Roi from 1672-1732. The female masks above the handles are similar to those on the series of coffres de toilette, such as the pair in the Wallace Collection (F.J.B. Watson, Catalogue, London, 1956, nos. F411-412). The distinctive female mask mounts at the sides, their hair dressed with pearls, are close in feeling to those on the series of armoires basses mounted with figures of Aspasia and the Philosopher (A. Pradère, French Furniture Makers, London, 1989, fig. 32), although a related mask also appears on the sarcophagus commode attributed to Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt in the Wallace Collection, which follows an engraving by Jean Bérain (A. Pradère, op. cit., fig. 10). Similar rams' masks appear in a design by Boulle for a commode and a torchère engraved on Plates 3 and 4 of his Nouveaux dessins....chez Mariette. All three commodes display that confident integration of the marquetry decoration with the ormolu mounts that characterises Boulle's work. The same angle mounts appear on two other commodes of different designs - one of floral marquetry sold in these Rooms, 4 December 1969, the other of tulipwood sold in these Rooms, 14 May 1970, lot 129