Skip to main content

Commode: M.19-1984

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Lieutaud, Balthazar

Entities

Categories

Description

Commode with serpentine and bombe front and sides, five drawers, the oak carcase veneered in kingwood and tulipwood parquetry, with ormolu mounts and marble top. Two of the drawers are long, two are short, and there is a small drawer between them. Ormolu key plates, mock key plates, foliate handles, and mounts are on the lower edges and corners. The latter with ram's heads at the top and lion's paws at the bottom.

Notes

History note: Hugh Burton-Jones, the donor's father; Mrs. K. D. Gifford-Scott.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Mrs. K. D. Gifford-Scott

Measurements and weight

Depth: 69 cm
Height: 90 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Paris ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed by Gifford-Scott, Kathleen, Mrs

Dating

18th Century, Mid
Louis XV
Circa 1750 CE - Circa 1760 CE

Note

The son and grandson of Parisian ébénistes, Balthazar Lietaud settled in the clockmakers’ quarter, where he became renowned for making exquisite clock cases in both the Rococo and Neo-classical styles. This commode is a rare example of his work outside the field of clocks.

School or Style

Rococo

Components of the work

Veneer composed of kingwood tulipwood
Mounts composed of ormolu
Carcase composed of oak
Top composed of marble
Front Width 132 cm
Back Width 156 cm

Techniques used in production

Veneering
Parquetry

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: ME
  • Location: Top right back corner
  • Method of creation: Stamp
  • Type: Guild mark
  • Text: B. LIEUTAUD
  • Location: Top right back corner
  • Method of creation: Stamp
  • Type: Maker's mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.19-1984
Primary reference Number: 95955
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 10 August 2023 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Commode" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/95955 Accessed: 2024-11-21 22:55:18

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/95955 |title=Commode |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-21 22:55:18|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-95955

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...