A French marquetry and kingwood serpentine front commode with…
click the photo to enlarge
A French marquetry and kingwood serpentine front commode with marble top, 19th century, 88 cm high, 130 cm wide, 58 cm deep

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Serpentine - Resembling a serpent, in the form of an elongated 'S'. A serpentine front is similar to a bow front, except that the curve is shallow at each end, swelling towards the middle. The term presumably derives from its similarity to a moving snake or serpent. Serpentine fronts are usually veneered, with the carcase either being cut and shaped from a solid piece of timber, or built in the 'brick' method.
  • Marquetry - In marquetry inlay, contrasting woods, and other materials such as ivory, shell and metal are inlaid either as panels or in a single continuous sheet over the surface of the piece. The design may be straightforward, such as a shell pattern or a basket of flowers, or it may be infinitely complex, with swirling tendrils of leaves, flowers and foliage, such as one finds, for example, in the "seaweed" patterns on longcase clocks of the William and Mary and Queen Anne periods.
  • Commode - The word "commode" when used to describe an item of furniture, has three usuages:

    1. As used to describe an item of English furniture, it refers to what is euphemistically called a 'night table', that is a small cabinet concealing a chamber pot.

    2. In its 18th century French usuage it describes a low and highly decorated chest of drawers for salons and reception rooms. A bombe commode is a commode with rounded sides and front, giving the chest a somewhat swollen look.

    3. It is also used to denote a half round or serpentine shaped cabinet, with panelled doors, standing on legs. They were pieces on which the cabinetmaker lavished his most accomplished art, with rich veneers, marquetry inlays, gilt mounts and other ornamentation.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

An antique transitional kingwood and tulipwood commode, late 18th century, with a breakfront grey black marble top above three drawers, each with three book end veneer panels with barber's pole borders and beaded ring handles with rosette backplates, with

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A William and Mary walnut and elm chest of drawers, comprising five fruitwood inlaid drawers, English, late 17th / early 18th century, 94 cm high, 95 cm wide, 55 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A French early 19th century transitional period walnut and marble top commode. 83 cm high, 94 cm wide, 54 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A fine French transitional Tulipwood and rosewood commode, 18th century. the commode of breakfront form with a grey and amber marble top, with three oak lined drawers with book end veneer panels, stringing, laurel garland swing handles and ribbon decorated

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.