{"id":3514,"date":"2020-11-19T09:40:05","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T08:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr\/?p=3514"},"modified":"2021-11-12T16:10:18","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T15:10:18","slug":"commode-sauteuse-louis-xv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr\/en\/2020\/11\/19\/commode-sauteuse-louis-xv\/","title":{"rendered":"Louis XV commode"},"content":{"rendered":"

The commode with a "jumping" effect appears to have been invented during the Regency period, between 1705 and 1730, by the cabinetmaker Charles Cressent, and subsequently became widespread in the Louis XV style. It consists of only two drawers or two rows of drawers. The body is raised on cabriole legs of a medium height, with the body occupying half the height of the piece and the other half the legs. This gives the impression that the piece has legs that allow it to jump like a frog. The width is available in straight, curved, or crossbow shapes. The marble top follows the lines of the front and sides. A horizontal rail separates each drawer; the bottom one is adorned with a bronze-mounted finial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Upon his arrival at the workshop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This chest of drawers has a solid beech frame and is veneered with rosewood framed with violet wood. The three front rails are veneered with satinwood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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State of affairs report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Upon arrival at the workshop, this chest of drawers presented a major problem: nothing was held together. All the joints and glued pieces had completely separated, and the back legs were entirely detached from the side panels. There were also quite a few missing veneers, precisely because the frame was in poor condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Right side before restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Left side before restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Rear front restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    rear foot lifted <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    rear foot lifted <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    rear foot lifted <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of amaranth veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Front shoe restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Fall before restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    veneer splinter<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    veneer splinter<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Veneer torn off and poor veneer grafting<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of veneer <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of satin finish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of satin finish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Several veneer defects<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Before restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lamp base<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Veneer missing and old restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Veneer chips<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lock entry before restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of violet wood<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of violet wood <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Drawer bottom before restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Lack of violet wood<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Old beechwood flipot<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Veneer shortages<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Background before restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    rear cross pin<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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    Dovetail joint at the front<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Restoration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To begin, the piece of furniture had to be completely disassembled. It wasn't very difficult; half the work was already done. A small surprise that I greatly appreciated: a small piece of evidence of a former colleague's visit, with this barely legible inscription: "Restored in 1881 on August 11th." The disassembly also allowed us to identify some tool marks and observe previous restorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Restored in 1881 on August 11th <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Traces of a chisel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After disassembly, I reattached the rear legs to the sides. Then I performed a vacuum sealing and re-gluing process, having first prepared the missing veneer grafts, taking care to scrape, sand, and shape them to the correct thickness so they wouldn't need to be reworked once glued. I did the same to the drawer fronts. For the crossbars, I re-glued the veneer using traditional methods with a hot block and clamps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before reassembling the case, the panels were adjusted to the correct width by gluing a piece of wood to each side so that it would fit into a groove and be invisible. The frame was then reattached using fish glue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Currently being dismantled<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      After disassembly<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      After disassembly<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Traces of a toothed iron on the back of the satin veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Re-gluing the drawer veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Re-gluing the veneer to the crossbeams<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Re-gluing the side veneer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Vacuum re-gluing<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Fir graft to fill a crack on the left side<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Regluing the case<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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      Stripping<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The old varnish was then stripped with a stripper that easily removed the varnish film without damaging the wood pores, thus preserving the original fill. The grafts were then oxidized, and I applied a French polish using a recipe based on sandarac, elemi, mastic, and colorless shellac. This varnish recipe was found in a late 19th-century book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Veneer torn off and poor veneer grafting<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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        Violet wood graft on the left upright<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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        Veneer graft on the left upright after restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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        After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Left side after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Right side after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Grafting after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Grafting after restoration <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Hoof after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Fall after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          Grafting of the rightful amount after restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
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          After restoration<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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          You can see some of the steps involved in restoring this chest of drawers in the following video\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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