Lise restored this Louis XVI commode, stamped by Jean Lapie, during her internship at the workshop. The piece is constructed of oak, fir, and beech, veneered with rosewood with hornbeam and amaranth stringing, and adorned with gilt bronze mounts. And since Lise submitted an excellent internship report, I'm publishing it almost in its entirety.
Jean Lapie
Jean Lapie (known as "The Younger"), son of the potter Nicolas Lapie, was born around 1734. Brother of the cabinetmaker Nicolas-Alexandre Lapie (known as "The Elder") and cousin of Jean-François Lapie, he obtained his master's certificate in Paris on July 31, 1762. After working on Rue de la Roquette, he set up his workshop at his home on Rue de Charenton in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. On October 25, 1761, he took on Charles Mathieu, 11 years old, as his apprentice for five years. Charles Mathieu was the son of Joseph Mathieu, a construction worker on Rue de Bercy.1. In 1775, upon the death of his brother Nicolas-Alexandre, he became the guardian of his four minor children whom he had with his first wife Marguerite Lemaitre.2
Jean Lapie's stamp is rather rare, as he primarily worked for his colleagues and haberdashers. It is found mainly on Louis XVI furniture, made after the death of his brother, for whom he was likely the principal subcontractor. Like many master craftsmen, affected by the Revolution, he ceased his activity on July 1, 1790.
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
- https://www.siv.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/siv/rechercheconsultation/consultation/ir/consultationIR.action?consIr=&frontIr=&optionFullText=&fullText=&defaultResultPerPage=&irId=FRAN_IR_041782&formCaller=GENERALISTE&gotoArchivesNums=false&auSeinIR=false&details=true&page=&udId=c1p6xhmr1waj–1aos7wei6xb3yh ↩︎
- https://www.siv.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/siv/rechercheconsultation/consultation/ir/consultationIR.action?consIr=&frontIr=&optionFullText=&fullText=&defaultResultPerPage=&irId=FRAN_IR_041783&formCaller=GENERALISTE&gotoArchivesNums=false&auSeinIR=false&details=true&page=&udId=c1p6xi39v9gr-1fhmnmzsgyq60 ↩︎
Introducing the chest of drawers
This commode opens at the front with three rows of superimposed drawers. The top row is divided into three adjacent drawers. They are veneered with rosewood in a butterfly pattern, highlighted by hornbeam and amaranth stringing. The commode is rectangular, with a central projection and rounded uprights. It rests on four tapered legs. The bronze mounts include rings on the feet, ring-shaped drawer pulls, knotted ribbon keyhole escutcheons, and two drops on the uprights. A red chalk inscription inside the frame (1788 CHARPENTIER) could refer to the year the commode was made, followed by the name of a subcontractor. Indeed, a debt owed to Jean Lapie for March 14, 1781, is recorded. Pierre CHARPENTIER, cabinetmaker.
1788 Carpenter
Condition report, summary of alterations
The veneer was dehydrated, with peeling, several bell-shaped patches, and some gaps. Additions from a previous veneer restoration had been made in a different wood species (cherry) than the original wood (rosewood). The back, top, and bottom panels had shrunk, and some were detached. Joints were weakened or even damaged, a mortise cheek and a tenon were damaged, and the frame was warped. The side panels had visible cracks on the inside.
Description of interventions
The dismantling
Given the shortcomings of some of the joinery and the unevenness of the frame, I decided to dismantle the piece. I first measured the dimensions of the panels in order to then create strips. The panels have shrunk over time, so they will need to be reamed to restore their original dimensions. I removed the bronze fittings and cleaned them ultrasonically. After preparing each piece, I disassembled the chest of drawers. The piece was entirely nailed in addition to being glued, likely during a previous restoration. I removed the nails from the joints during disassembly.
The panels
I re-glued the panels with fish glue and reamed out those that had shrunk. The wood chosen for the replacement was fir and oak, the original wood of the panels.
Bonding and rehydration of plated elements
The veneered surfaces were rehydrated. Any added veneers that were not rosewood were replaced. Gaps were filled with sawn veneer, and the bells were reattached. I first examined the piece of furniture meticulously. Using a scalpel, I lifted all the areas where the dehydrated glue no longer adhered. I filled the gaps and replaced the additions with wood of the same thickness and species as the original veneer. I prepared each piece, cut it to size, scraped and sanded it, then shaped and glued it in place with hot glue.
I rehydrated both sides of the cabinet and the two large drawers under vacuum. A penetrating adhesive was applied as a poultice under vacuum pressure. After this period, the pieces were cleaned of excess adhesive and placed under vacuum pressure. Each element was covered with a piece of hardboard cut to its shape, then heated and vacuum-sealed for bonding.
For the small drawers, I first applied a poultice of absorbent glue under cellophane, then glued the veneer in place with hot glue, using clamps. This method retains moisture and prevents the glue from drying out, while also facilitating its penetration into the joints and under the veneer. Next, the glue was cleaned off. Then, the drawer fronts were clamped to ensure the veneer was flat and the pieces were glued together. A layering process was used: non-stick paper, a hot block (hot hardboard), a soft block (cork), and a hard block. This process leveled the surfaces while respecting the shape of the piece.
As for the central crossbeams, they had the most detachments. I removed the pieces that were no longer holding or barely attached, then reattached them using traditional hot glue. They were then clamped to ensure flatness and proper adhesion. A layering process was used: non-stick paper, hot block (hot hardboard), soft block (cork), hard block.
The two large drawers that had come loose were re-glued with fish glue, making sure to check that they were properly aligned.
Building restoration
All the joints were inspected to ensure they fit together properly, allowing for a dry fit of the chest of drawers in preparation for gluing. Several damaged joints were reinforced with grafts. One tenon was replaced with a comb tenon, and two mortise cheeks were strengthened with grafts. The wood chosen for the replacement was beech, the original wood of the damaged joints.
The chest of drawers was glued together using fish glue and clamps. After removing the clamps, the drawers and their runners were checked and adjusted, making sure they were square or adjusting the runners. After gluing the crossbars, I re-glued the veneer to the uprights using hot glue, first with a hot block (hot hardboard), then a soft block (cork), then a hard block, and finally clamps. A patch was made to fill a gap in the back panel. It was cut with a band saw and glued on with hot glue.
Finishing
The chest of drawers was cleaned with hot water to remove the last traces of hot glue and fish glue. The drawer interiors had fabric glued on with neoprene; I had to use acetone to remove the residue. To harmonize the added pieces with the original wood, I oxidized the rosewood. Then, the entire piece was filled with pumice. After lightly sanding to remove any pumice clumps, the chest of drawers was varnished with a clear French polish.
Before/After
