This week, I'm presenting a Louis XIV commode from the first half of the 18th century. It is veneered with Rio rosewood and adorned with bronzes "in the Chinese style".
High. : 85.7 cm, Width. : 125 cm, Depth: 60.5 cm
The frame is made of softwood, with planks joined edge-to-edge. Furthermore, the sides, top, and bottom are joined with dovetail joints. Finally, the back consists of several planks nailed into the rabbets of the sides.
The drawer bottoms and sides are made of walnut planks glued together edge to edge. They are described as having a "sloping bottom": the entire bottom of the drawer slides on the false bottom, which also forms the front rails.
Louis XIV and China
Between 1681 and 1683, Colbert and Father Jean de Fontaney conceived the project of sending missionaries to India and China.
On September 15, 1684, Versailles received the Flemish Jesuit Philippe Couplet with great pomp. He had spent many years in China and came seeking help to strengthen the Jesuit missions. Convinced, Louis XIV sent six French Jesuits to China in 1685, paid for from his personal funds.
Previously, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Portuguese and then Dutch East India Companies distributed Chinese goods in Europe. French merchants then bought them back for their customers.
Then, in 1686, the arrival of the ambassadors from the King of Siam reinforced this enthusiasm. Received with great pomp in the Hall of Mirrors, they showered Louis XIV with gifts. Among them were numerous Chinese objects: porcelain, fabrics, wallpaper, and lacquer furniture. Indeed, the Court was captivated.
In Paris, haberdashers controlled most of the trade in "Lachinage," or "Lachine." The most famous of these, in the first half of the 18th century, was Edme-François Gersaint. He even renamed his shop. To the Great Monarch in a more exotic way At the Pagoda.
As for the missionaries of 1685, they were officially scientists. But they also served as cultural ambassadors, spearheading French policy in Asia. Thanks to them, the first French merchants arrived in China in 1698.
Thus, from the beginning of the 18th century, the fashion for chinoiserie took off. It would last until the end of the century.
State of affairs report
The chest of drawers was in fairly good condition: only three small areas where the veneer was missing and some of the glue was slightly dehydrated. Similarly, the structure was sound, apart from a slight warping of the top, which was not unsightly. However, the varnish had aged and yellowed. There were also a few repairs, perhaps old, perhaps original. Nevertheless, they did not detract from the overall appearance of the piece.
The Restoration
We therefore rehydrated all the glues by infiltration, then pressed them with a slight application of heat. This allowed the surfaces to flatten without sanding, and the wood's oxidation remained intact. Indeed, sanding would remove this oxidation. The rosewood would then revert to its original, very dark color and lose the beauty of aged wood. Finally, the grafts were cut from sawn, scraped, and sanded veneer, then hot-glued in place.
Next, I restored the varnish and reapplied it with a pad using Roubo varnish. Finally, a diluted EDTA solution and Panama wood were used to clean the bronzes.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
