Mahogany and satinwood commode attributed to Pierre Langlois

Mahogany and satinwood commode attributed to Pierre Langlois
English, c. 1770
Height 94cm, width 147cm, depth 70.5cm
 
This antique English commode is a truly spectacular piece of craftsmanship, with an equally fascinating history. Its design has been attributed to the master furniture maker Pierre Langlois (English, active 1754-1781), who, it is thought, was commissioned to build it for 1st Earl of Carnarvon Henry Herbert (1741-1811). Herbert's home, Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, is better known today as the location of 'Downton Abbey', the famous British television series. This commode remained in the collection of Highclere Castle for many years before being sold.
 
The shape and design of this antique commode is similar to other documented pieces by Langlois, including the bombe-shaped (or curved) front, its serpentine form more generally, and the large double doors at the front. The top and front of the commode feature exceptional marquetry designs, consisting of an oval-shaped panel with a foliate motif in the centre, inside square wooden frames. The doors open to reveal three rows of wooden drawers with brass handles: two half-width drawers on the top row, and two full-width drawers on the rows below.
 
The entire commode is set on four curved block feet and is built from a number of different woods including mahogany, burlwood and satinwood.
 
Provenance: Formerly in the collection of the Earls of Carnarvon, Highclere Castle, Berkshire, Hampshire; then with Partridge Fine Arts, later with Hotspur Antiques, and sold to a private Swiss collection in 1988.
 
Literature: P. Thornton and W. Rieder, 'Pierre Langlois, Ebéniste', Parts I-V, Connoisseur, December 1971, February, March, April & May 1972, pp. 105-112, 178, 283-88.