Circa 1750
A French Louis XV Ormolu-Mounted Black Vernis Martin Commode, Circa 1750
The serpentine-fronted, bombé commode decorated with French japanning has a moulded brêche violet marble top, above two deep drawers, the lower one with a shaped apron.. The sides have similar decorated panels and the shoulders are headed with ormolu scroll mounts running down the front cabriole legs. The front feet with pierced ormolu sabots above fine gilt floral decoration running down the length of the leg and arching into the body of the commode.
The commode is stamped Wolff.
Provenance
Isaac Periere (1806 – 1880)
By descent
Emile and Isaac Periere were prominent 19th Century bankers in Paris who founded a business conglomerate that included creating the Credit Mobilier bank. They were the rivals of the Rothschilds in both banking and in collecting works of art. Isaac son Eugene inherited the business empire in 1875 and founded a private bank called Banque Transatlantic which still operates today and is one of the oldest private banks in France. In 1909 Eugene granddaughter Noemie Halphen married banking competitor Maurice de Rothschild.
Christoper Wolff
Christophe Wolff became maître ébeniste in 1755. Of German extraction he was born in 1720 and specialised in marquetry and mechanical tables. In 1759 according to a brief article in the periodical “La Feuille Necessaire”, his production included pieces veneered with floral marquetry, others worked in solid wood and finally furniture “ en vernis de la Chine dans le gout le plus nouveau”. His work can be seen in the Muse des arts decorative, The louvre, Camondo Museum and Cognacq-jay Museum in Paris.
Measurements
| DIMENSIONS | CM | INCHES |
|---|---|---|
| Width: | 120 | 47 |
| Depth: | 60.5 | 24 |
| Height: | 89.5 | 35 |