commode en tombeau French, circa 1875

Baron Guy de Rothschild, Chateau de Ferrières

P. Kjellberg, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle, p. 66-67, for an illustration of a similar 18th century model by Nicolas Bernard.

A. Forray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, Editions Faton, Dijon, 2000, p. 86-87, for the illustraion of a variant of the present commode en tombeau by Nicolas Jean Marchand, (inv. MB 177).

The commode en tombeau was made by various makers in the second quarter of the 18th century. However, the present lot has similar mounts to a commode en tombeau in the Musée Carnavalet in Paris by Nicolas-Jean Marchand (circa 1745), as well as to a commode tombeau sold at Nicolay, Paris, March 29, 2000, by Nicoals Bernard. In her book, A. Forray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, p. 86-87, describes the handles 'Les poignées, ciselées d'un décor rocaille, sont maintenues par deux feuilles tournantes.'   The source for this richly designed chute with bearded male masks and lion's-head sabots may come from a design by the ébéniste François Mondon (1694-1770). Louis Delaître reçu maître en 1738 has interpreted the lion motif on an important commode sold Hôtel Drouot, June 9, 1952, lot 21.  Interestingly, Charles Cressent (1685-1768) also used this leaping lion motif in his oeuvre. 

An almost identical early 18th century commode en tombeau, sold at Christie's, Paris, December 7, 2005, was from the collection of the baronne Zuylen van Nyevelt, the second wife of baron Guy de Rothschild.  It is interesting to note that both this commode and the present lot each have similar marble tops and gilt-bronze encadrements to the drawers and sides, as well as identical chutes and sabots.

A similar pair of commodes is in the Wallace Collection, London made for Louis XV (F70) and for Queen Marie-Caroline-Sophie-Félicité (F88).