The sarcophagus-scrolled commode of beautifully figured mahogany has its bowed top wreathed by a reeded moulding. Arcadian reeds also wrap its canted pilasters and the facades of the drawers, which display 'picturesque' ormolu handles of flowered and antique-fluted reeds that issue from Roman acanthus trusses. Their French-fashioned pattern features as no. 6785 in an 18th century metal-workers catalogue (N. Goodison, 'The Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of Metal-Work Pattern Books', Furniture History, 1975, fig. 27). This elegant commode pattern on 'French' Grecian-scrolled feet, was introduced in the 1770s and published as a 'French Commode Dressing Chest' in the London Cabinet-Maker's Book of Prices, 1788, pl. 10. fig 4.
The pattern of handles on this commode relate to those on a pair of commodes offered anonymously, Christie's New York, 12 October 1996, lot 155 and illustrated in L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 169, fig. 156. This latter pair of commodes and its associated group have been variously attributed to the Tottenham Court Road cabinet-maker Pierre Langlois (d. 1767) and the St Martin's Lane cabinet-maker John Cobb (d. 1778). Furthermore, both cabinet-makers designed commodes with the lower drawer an integral part of the apron.