Fine Small Salon Commode
The small elegant commode was executed in Paris around 1770 by Nicolas Guyot (1735−1812).
It is crafted with two large drawers made with “sans travers” construction technique, and it features a profiled marble top that follows the contours of the furniture. The slightly curved legs transition into slanted pilasters and are adorned with implied Bronze Doré sabots, as well as architectural ornamentation with laurel garlands in the pilaster area. The large drawers are decorated with two laurel leaf ring handles each and a key escutcheon in the center, featuring a Louis XVI bow.
The body is veneered in violet or kingwood and rosewood. The veneer pattern is expertly mirrored and embellished with abundant band and string inlays. The piece is signed “N. Guyot” under the top and bears the guild stamp “JME.”
Nicolas Guyot (1735−1812) operated his workshop on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. He was granted the master status on July 26, 1775. The term “kingwood” originated because French kings (including Louis XIV and Louis XV) in the 17th and 18th centuries valued the wood for crafting fine furniture.
