Antique Commode Provençale

Dimensions: H x W x D: 87 x 120 x 65 cm

Description:
Southern French, beautifully carved chest of drawers made of solid cherry with a fantastic patina.

The piece of furniture is impressively cambered on all sides, with the curves moving both vertically and horizontally on the front.
The curving is complemented by the neatly executed carvings typical of the region. Starting from the feet, which end in volutes, the base is emphasised in the finest manner with central floral carving. Rocaille-like work emphasises the sweep of the pilaster strips.
The neatly cast bronze fittings interrupt the flatness of the drawer fronts.

The planning and drawing of complicated curves in the carcase required good spatial thinking and was only done on paper by experienced craftsmen. The curves were worked out by sawing, planing and sanding thick planks of wood. This was an almost wasteful use of cherry wood, which thrives well in the region and grows back quickly. The 5 cm thick drawer front can be seen in one of the photos.
The chest of drawers is correspondingly heavy and robust and designed to last for many centuries...

Well used over many generations, exposed to the rigours of everyday life and certainly freshly waxed from time to time, it has developed a fantastic patina of age. The wood is strong in colour and texture with dark deposits in the carved and hard-to-reach areas.
In the course of the restoration, all signs of age and use were deliberately preserved. The wood was not sanded, but gently cleaned, treated with shellac and sealed with wax.

Worth knowing:
Typical for provincial furniture of this type is, on the one hand, the use of solid wood such as walnut, oak or fruitwood and, on the other, the frame and panelled construction. The individual frame timbers were slotted and mortised into each other and fixed with wooden nails. These hand-carved nails, which are therefore all slightly different in shape, can be seen at all connection points of the body. One such nail head can be clearly seen in the detailed photo, which shows one of the feet.

Condition:
Refurbished condition with patina preserved. The runners have been straightened so that the drawers run cleanly and smoothly despite their weight. The back panel was added in an older restoration.

Price: This chest of drawers has already been sold. Items of comparable quality and condition are priced at around €4,000 to €6,000.