IN THE MANNER OF JEAN-BAPTISTE BIRCKLÉ, CIRCA 1880

The marquetry of the central panel of this commode depicting gathered drapes with hanging tassels in a room perspective with chequered floor, is particularly close to that found on 18th century transitional breakfront models of the 1760s by Jean-Baptiste Bircklé (maître in 1764), including a commode and secrétaire illustrated in J. Nicolay, L'Art et la Manière des Maîtres Ébénistes Français au XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1956, J. Bircklé (Fig. D) and (Fig. H). This imagery was highly fashionable in the latter part of the 18th century, also adopted by Georges Jansen (maître in 1767) (ibid., G. Jansen (Fig. A). The mounts of the present commode are also derived from 18th century models, especially the guilloche and corner mounts found on commodes by Jean-François Oeben (maître in 1761) (ibid., J-F. Oeben (Fig. N).