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Lot Essay
This form of George III chest-of-drawers, described as a 'pier-commode-table', was intended to accompany a mirror in the window pier of a bedroom-apartment. With its serpentined form, ormolu enrichments and marquetry inlay, it reflects the French fashion introduced to London in the late 1750s by Pierre Langlois (d. 1767), specialist inlayer and ébéniste of Tottenham Court Road, London. A ribbon-banded tablet on the top is inlaid in trompe l'oeil with butterflies attending a flower-basket set amongst strewn flowers; while garlands festoon the commode's serpentined façade and more flowers dress the plinth-supported and veil-festooned sacred urns that are inlaid at the sides.
This commode is almost identical to one now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery and they may once have formed its pair. The Lady Lever commode has a label inscribed 'Levens [or 'Livens'] Aug'st 13th 1886' which possibly links it to Levens Hall, Cumbria. Lucy Wood has suggested that the commodes were made by an immigrant maker for the English market. They belong to a small group of marquetry commodes in the Continental manner, some with drawers and some with cupboard doors (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp. 166-170, cat. no. 17).
This commode is almost identical to one now in the Lady Lever Art Gallery and they may once have formed its pair. The Lady Lever commode has a label inscribed 'Levens [or 'Livens'] Aug'st 13th 1886' which possibly links it to Levens Hall, Cumbria. Lucy Wood has suggested that the commodes were made by an immigrant maker for the English market. They belong to a small group of marquetry commodes in the Continental manner, some with drawers and some with cupboard doors (L. Wood, Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, pp. 166-170, cat. no. 17).