Furniture

AN ANTIQUE FRENCH EMPIRE PERIOD COMMODE attributed to Joseph-Marie BENARD
Paris, circa 1820

A French Empire period commode, attributed to Joseph-Marie BENARD, of burr-elm and amaranth with ormolu mounts, the rectangular “rouge griotte” marble top with eared corners above a conforming frieze mounted with the Greek key design and centred by a mask of Tragedy and flanked by profile masks of Comedy, each mask mounted on an amaranth ground and enclosed by a square frame, the frame to each mask of Comedy hinged as a handle, the frieze concealing a drawer, above two doors mounted with concentric rectangular stepped purplewood mouldings centred by an ormolu rectangle filled with an ormolu lozenge flanked by anthemions and centred by a mount of Galatea riding an hippocampus on purplewood ground, the doors opening to reveal three slides, the angles each set with an ormolu monopodium, the whole resting on a stepped and conforming plinth base.

Height 36in (91cm). Width 55in (140cm). Depth 23 1/2in (60cm).

Reference:J6392

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