An 18th Century Louis XV Period Walnut Serpentine Chest of Drawers or Commode

A mid-18th century Louis XV Period walnut commode, of serpentine form, the veneered top crossbanded with boxwood inlay and set above three crossbanded drawers with applied rococo brass handles and lock escutcheons, the sides with fielded panels, the lower parts with shaped aprons and supported upon carved cabriole feet.

This commode with its shapely form was made in France at a time when the rococo style had taken hold of the arts. As a direct reaction against the monumentality of the Baroque Age, architecturally hard lines became shaped and mannered in keeping with the predilection for whimsy and fantasy. This is clearly apparent in the castings of the lock escutcheons and handles upon this commode.