Restoration of a Regency period commode, topped with a 30 mm thick Rance marble slab, molded with a corbelled edge. Curved in plan and elevation, both on the front and sides, it is veneered with snakewood and satinwood. It has four drawers (giving the appearance of six), arranged in three rows. Its voluminous feet evoke the clawed paws of a dragon. It is decorated with brass fluting and a set of chased and gilded bronzes: chased frames of water leaves framing the drawers, thick drop handles with shells, wide plates with dragons, central keyhole escutcheons with back-to-back sphinxes, very important corner drops decorated with dragons in the round, floral drops, gadroons, plumes and shells, gadrooned moustaches in cornucopias, a lamp base with acanthus spirals facing the apron and finally large allegories of Astronomy on the sides.
Although dragon-shaped handle plates are relatively rare, occasional examples can be found (notably on commodes by Mathieu Criaerd). However, the dragon corner mounts adorning this commode are as extraordinary as they are unique. Dragon bronzes are typical of certain great cabinetmakers of the Regency period, which launched the craze for chinoiserie. On a commode, they signal a certain grandeur and inevitably evoke Charles Cressent or Noël Gérard, but also, more occasionally, Antoine-Robert Gaudreaus.
State of affairs report
This imposing chest of drawers was in a rather dilapidated state. First, many of the joints on the frame and structure had come unglued. Furthermore, numerous metal reinforcements and wooden pieces had been added. Finally, all the panels had detached, and the sides, cracked, were separating from the front and back uprights.
However, the veneer on the sides and drawers remained in fairly good condition, without too many missing pieces. There were, however, a few holes, and the glue had dried considerably on all surfaces.
But the biggest problem was on the facade. Indeed, a previous restorer had heavily altered it, replacing its snakewood veneer with rosewood.
The Restoration
In consultation with my client, we opted to remove the veneers to stabilize the structure of the sides. This is, however, a delicate decision. Indeed, this major intervention goes beyond mere conservation. It also requires specialized expertise, as it can cause irreversible damage. Therefore, removal is not a decision to be taken lightly. Beyond the cost and time involved, each step must be mastered to achieve a flawless result.
Before tackling the veneer, we therefore multiplied the panel bores, the solid wood grafts, the comb tenons and the gluing to restore the chest of drawers' solidity.
Next, on the front, we removed the rosewood from the uprights and drawers. In its place, we installed new snakewood, scraped, sanded and cut to the correct thickness on the back face, then glued with hot glue.
A pleasant surprise: beneath the sleepers, we found the locations of the old fluting. We therefore restored them. Similarly, we reinstated the step on the lower sleeper bridge, which had been filled with an oak slab.
Then, after filling with pumice, we oxidized the new grafts to match the old veneers. Next, we applied a colorless shellac finish with a pad. Finally, after a quick visit to the gilder, the bronzes were put back in place.
