Restoration of a Louis XV commode stamped by Nicolas Alexandre Lapie, veneered in amaranth and satinwood. Its oak frame is of exceptionally high quality. However, the sides and drawer fronts are made of softwood. Finally, the top is a Campan griotte marble.
Nicolas Alexandre Lapie
The son of Nicolas Lapie, a pottery merchant in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and brother of master cabinetmaker Jean Lapie, Nicolas Alexandre (known as the Elder) appears to have been born around 1730. He registered his master's letters at the Châtelet in Paris on August 17, 1764. His workshop was located on the rue de Charenton. However, his career was short, lasting only eleven years.
Indeed, he died on February 8, 1775, at his home, above his workshop. The official record of the seals even mentions the pieces he left unfinished. Among them are about twenty small tables known as ragpickers and several chests of drawers. In addition, there were various small pieces of Louis XV, Transition or Louis XVI furniture, of classical type, veneered or inlaid.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 1989
- The workshops Parisian cabinetmakers and joiners in the 17th and 18th centuries – Guillaume Janneau – Serg Editions – 1975
