A rare Louis XIV gilt-bronze mounted kingwood veneered oval commode

A rare Louis XIV gilt-bronze mounted kingwood veneered oval commode "en tambour arrondi par les deux bouts", circa 1715, attributed to the workshop of d&#8217;Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle<br><br>opening with four drawers, resting on four reeded and fluted feet, with a breccia corallina marble top, with the crowned C mark; (some gilt-bronzes added circa 1745)<br><br>Height. 29 3/8 in, width. 36 1/4 in, depth. 15 3/4 in<br><br>----------------------------------------<br><br>Rare petite commode<br>ovale ou &#171;<br>en tambour arrondi par les deux bouts<br>&#187;<br>d&#8217;&#233;poque Louis XIV, vers 1715, attribu&#233;e &#224; l&#8217;atelier d&#8217;Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle<br><br>ouvrant &#224; quatre tiroirs, reposant sur des pieds en toupie &#224; cannelures torses<br>, dessus de marbre breccia corallina, quelques bronzes au C couronn&#233; ; (certains bronzes ajout&#233;s vers 1745)<br><br>Haut. 74,5 cm, larg. 92 cm, prof. 40 cm<br><br>Provenance<br><br>Par tradition familiale, cette commode fut offerte par le roi Louis XVI &#224; la duchesse de Tourzel, Gouvernante des Enfants de France<br><br>Louise-Elisabeth de Cro&#255; d&#8217;Havr&#233;, duchesse de Tourzel (1749 &#8211; 1832), en 1764 alli&#233;e &#224; Louis Fran&#231;ois du Bouchet, Marquis de Sourches<br>(1744 &#8211; 1786)<br><br>Sa fille Jos&#233;phine Marie du Bouchet (1769 &#8211; 1838)<br><br>Sa fille Albertine, Jos&#233;phine de Saint-Aldegonde (1789 &#8211; 1843)<br><br>Son fils Edmond de Vassinhac, Comte d&#8217;Im&#233;court (1812 &#8211; 1848)<br><br>Son fils Stanislas de Vassinhac d&#8217;Im&#233;court (1845 -1894)<br><br>Puis par descendance jusqu&#8217;au propri&#233;taire actuel<br><br>R&#233;f&#233;rences bibliographiques<br>:<br><br>-J-P Samoyault,<br><i>Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle et sa famille,<br></i>Gen&#232;ve, 1979<br><br>-J-R. Ronfort,<br><i>Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), un nouveau style pour l&#8217;Europe</i>, cat. expo Francfort, 2009<br><br>Catalogue note<br><br>The crowned C mark was used between 1745 and 1749 as proof that a tax had been paid on or for any bronze object.<br><br><b><i>The "commode en tambour arrondi par les deux bouts", </i>an invention of Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle<br></b><br><br>This is undoubtedly an atypical piece of furniture, given that its shape is unprecedented in the history of furniture, a prototype in a way of what was to become the emblematic piece of furniture of the 18th century: the commode. This is one of the very first models of commode made by the cabinetmaker, whose shape derives from the eight-feet desks that were fitted with drawers along the length of the front to adapt them to their new function as storage units. The evolution of shapes had begun, and this was an intermediate phase with six feet; two feet had disappeared and four would remain on the finished model, where only the central front containing the drawers would finally be retained. This commode is fascinating because it illustrates the cabinetmaker's ongoing search for new forms. Comparisons are easy to make with the benefit of hindsight, but placed in the context of its time, this piece of furniture is a remarkable testament to the inventiveness and creativity of Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle. Details of his production and preparatory drawings show that this highly original model is directly inspired by projects or designs that he himself had conceived earlier, but was also adapted later, with the period 1705-1715 appearing to be the pivotal date, oscillating between innovation and conservatism.A detailed examination of various documents reveals a number of features that can be found together on this innovative piece of furniture.<br><br>Made around 1705-1715, two of these commodes have been sold at Sotheby's in Paris in recent years, the "Rohan-Chabot" commode sold on 5 November 2015, lot 305, and the Brownlow commode offered on 16 June 2020, lot 5; they are probably the origin of the commode we are presenting here. The side feet have disappeared but the distinctive shape has been preserved. It could be a link between the commodes with detached feet on the sides and the commode with a more complete form like the one in the former Fabius collection sold at Sotheby's in Paris on 26-27 October 2011, lot 127.<br><br>What is remarkable about this unusual commode is its small size, which makes it even more precious.<br><br>The composition of the gilt-bronze ornamentation is also very interesting: while some of the ornaments are based on models used in Boulle's workshop around 1715, the sides and front (mounts, apron, etc.) feature bronzes that can be stylistically dated to 1735-1740, and were probably added during this period to temper an initial rigor that was far removed from the beginnings of Rococo. The presence of these bronzes and the crowned C hallmark on most of them support the hypothesis that this piece of furniture was made at the beginning of the 18th century and marketed around 1745-1749. The central rosettes on the side panels are of an unusual design, also reminiscent of the style of Charles Cressent, the other great Regency cabinetmaker, who also had his own bronze designs. Following a bankruptcy, his stock was sold and his bronze models were then used by others.<br><br>An original piece of furniture, inventoried from the early 18th century and appreciated throughout the century<br><br>Boulle's works fascinated his contemporaries, as well as connoisseurs and dealers, throughout the 18th century. They were sought after and passed on from one cabinet to another through inheritance and sale. In the catalogue of the sale of the Angran de Fonspertuis collection in 1748, the furniture of Andr&#233;s-Charles Boulle is particularly highlighted by a flattering mention: <i>&#171;<br>Les ouvrages de cet habile homme sont toujours recherch&#233;s avidement des curieux, quoiqu&#8217;ils soient diff&#233;rents d&#8217;un go&#251;t de celui qui r&#232;gne aujourd&#8217;hui. Malgr&#233; leur anciennet&#233;, ils servent toujours de preuves &#224; la r&#233;putation que s&#8217;&#233;tait si justement acquise, dans le genre de l&#8217;&#233;b&#233;nisterie, cet excellent artiste, &amp; ils donnent encore des t&#233;moignages authentiques de sa c&#233;l&#233;brit&#233;.<br>&#187;</i><br><br>The reference to "<i>en tambour par les deux bouts</i>" means that the ends of the commode are rounded, which is synonymous with the term "<i>commodes ovalles</i>", also used in 18th century descriptions. In a deed of abandonment drawn up by Andr&#233;-Charles Boulle in 1715, we find  "<i>une commode de quatre pieds de long en tambour, par les deux bouts"</i>, with its contre-partie ordered by Mr de La Croix. This is a model with two drawers that we find 15 years later in the inventory after the death of the financier Claude-Fran&#231;ois de La Croix, which he owned in his hotel on rue Saint-Antoine, along with two other similar commodes (see J-P Samoyault,<i> op.cit.</i>). One is described in the Crozat baron de Thiers sale, 26 February-27 March 1772, no. 1113;