An important George III ormolu-mounted kingwood, tulipwood and fruitwood marquetry commode circa 1765

The serpentine top centered with an oval marquetry reserve inalid with a basket of flowers, the edge of the top mounted with a gadrooned ormolu banding, the conforming bombé case fitted with three drawers inalid with floral sprays and mounted with foliate ormolu handles and centered by a foliate ormolu escutcheon to each key hole, each case side centered by a marquetry reserve inlaid with vases issuing flowers, the shaped serpentine apron centered by a foliate ormolu mount to the center and raised on splayed feet mounted with rocaille form sabots.

Apter-Fredericks, London, 2001

Good condition; penwork to top still in good condition with some minor wear and with minor areas of refreshed penwork; the left side panel with small inpainted cracks; penwork to the drawer fronts in very good condition; ormolu with some areas of tarnishing and wear otherwise in good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present commode with its bombé form, foliate gilt-bronze mounts, and floral marquetry was executed in the French style following the tastes of the 1760s and 1770s.  The commode could be attributed to a number of cabinet-makers including Pierre Langlois and John Cobb.

The overall bombé form as well as the use of floral marquetry is similar to the work of Pierre Langlois, and the handles are identical to those on a pair of commodes he supplied to John Chute at his country house ‘The Vyne’ circa 1766 (illustrated, Peter Thornton and William Reider, ‘Pierre Langlois, Ebéniste. Part 3,’ The Connoisseur, March, 1972, p. 183).  It is likely that the mounts were made by the émigré bronzier Dominique Jean who is believed to have supplied Langlois with many of the mounts found in his work.  These style mounts are also found on commodes attributed to Henry Hill of Marlborough who, like other cabinet-makers, may have bought them from Jean.   Langlois developed a highly distinctive style of workmanship and design, which was markedly French in character and enjoyed particular success at a time when war with France placed an obvious limit on the importation of French furniture and other luxury goods into England. Langlois' commodes were especially close to the French, although generally with wooden tops rather than marble, an apparent concession to English tradition. As indicated in his trade card, Langlois also specialized in marquetry, particularly floral marquetry, which was of a style not seen in English cabinet-making since the days of William and Mary, but which had earlier been revived in France, notably by Oeben, with whom Langlois possibly trained, and another leading ébéniste, Jean-Pierre Latz.

The oval reserve to the top inlaid with a basket of fruit is very similar to the work of John Cobb as it relates directly to a commode attributed to Cobb which passed through the Tweedmouth, Mulliner, Leverhulme and Whitmarsh collections (illustrated, Lucy Wood, The Lady Lever Art Gallery Catalogue of Commodes, London, 1994, p. 93, figs. 81-82).  This commode is virtually identical in form and to the marquetry of a commode Cobb delivered to Paul Methuen at Corsham Court in 1772 (illustrated, ibid., p. 91 figs. 75-77). The present commode also bears similarity to the top of a pair of card tables attributed to Cobb formerly at Holland House, Kensington with a fruit still-life similar to the basket on the present commode (illustrated, Colin Streeter, ‘Marquetry Tables from Cobb’s Workshop,’ Furniture History, Leeds, 1974, vol. X, plate. 28B).  It is interesting to note that the present marquetry panel of the basket of fruit is virtually identical to one on a commode which sold from the collection of Dr. Daniel McLean McDonald at Christie’s London, July 9, 1992, lot 133.  Thornton and Reider suggest in their articles on Pierre Langlois that ‘Langlois was by this time employing specialists in 'this [marquetry] field’ (Thornton and Rieder, op. cit., p. 181) and that marqueteurs were probably working from similar templates.  If the major cabinet-making firms were employing specialized marqueteurs, then these men could easily float from one workshop to another, bringing with them standard templates of marquetry panels, making attribution to a specific workshop is rather difficult.

A nearly identical commode with the identical mounts and overall form but with different proportions sold at Christie's London, April 21, 1994, lot 135.