Here are some photos of the restoration of a solid walnut chest of drawers, veneered with burl inlay. thuja, with Greek-style stringing in amaranth and boxwood. The drawers and the interior and rear panels are made of fir.
Despite the scalloped shape of the crossbar, its curve and its feet, this chest of drawers is indeed in the Transition style, but from the Louis XVI period.
In the title, I wrote "in the style of the Hache family": this chest of drawers certainly comes from the Dauphiné region. But whether it came from the workshop of the famous Hache family of cabinetmakers is only my opinion.
Several elements support this attribution. The dovetail jointing of the facade rails is very characteristic. The disc-shaped foot, the narrowing of the corbel, and the choice of woods (walnut, burl) are also distinctive features. thuja, (fir trees) also recall the production of the Hache family.
However, some elements do not meet the usual criteria for attribution. The disc-shaped foot is rather heavy, and the shapes are unusual in Hache's production. There are also the drawer bottoms, which have already been restored. Finally, there is no stamp, only a trace of a label on the back.
So, what can we say about this chest of drawers? It dates from the late 18th century and is typical of work from the Grenoble region. We can therefore offer a few hypotheses. It could be the work of a craftsman who knew the Hache family, or even who apprenticed with them. Perhaps it was a subcontract for Christophe-André Hache, the last son of the family to run the business, until May 13, 1801.
Or it could simply be a copy made by another cabinetmaker in the region.
A more ambitious hypothesis suggests it was the work of Christophe-André himself. Completely overshadowed by the talent of his older brother Jean-François, he left very little furniture, and his output has practically never been studied.
It shouldn't be assumed that great cabinetmakers only crafted prestigious furniture. They also produced simpler pieces, quick and easy to make, for all types of customers. It's often forgotten that these cabinetmakers were simply artisans and business owners. They had to make their work profitable to pay their employees and taxes.
The restoration itself was simple: a few grafts of solid walnut, the regluing of the veneers by infiltration, the making of a key, the stripping of the very yellowed varnish, the cleaning of the bronzes and finally a colorless French polish.
