An important and rare pair of mid 18th century kingwood and amaranth marquetry commodes. The tops with serpentine fronts and sides having brass edging and crossbanded in kingwood and having a floral marquetry centre on an amaranth background; above a pair of doors edged with brass and similarly veneered with ribbon tied bunches of flowers and perching birds and insects opening to reveal three rosewood veneered drawers retaining the original ornate swan-neck handles. The bombe sides veneered and crossbanded conformingly, again with typical brass mounts and floral strips terminating in scrolled sabots. The shaped apron centred by a pierced rococo brass applique.
The design of these extraordinary commodes relates in great detail to a number of pieces attributed to the Langlois workshop and in particular to the well documented Craven commodes which apart from lost pieces of metalwork and slight variations in marquetry are of identical design and undoubtedly from the same workshop.
The distinctive metal which appears on almost all of Langlois’ commissions are believed to be made by his son-in-law, a fellow Frenchman, Dominique Jean.