Commode stamped Doirat

Curved Commode inlaid with violet wood opening with three drawers. It rests on four small curved feet. The front and sides are also curved. The chest of drawers is decorated with very beautiful gilded and chiseled bronzes in hoof, falls, apron, handles of pulling, entries of lock.
The chest of drawers is topped with a molded marble top called Rouge de Rance.
Stamped Doirat
Regency period
Restorations of use
H. 83,5 x W. 100 x D. 55 cm

The piece of furniture in our study is a chest of drawers that we can date to the Regency period. Several elements give us clues as to its dating, but also on its author. This commode is stamped by the cabinetmaker Etienne Doirat (1675-1732).

The curves on the front, sides and uprights indicate that the Louisquatorian style is no longer in use. These affirmed curves are the result of a very great technicality. This know-how never ceases to develop and to be perfected in this first third of the XVIIIth century.
Moreover, this chest of drawers with three rows of drawers and an apron close to the floor reminds us of the craze for voluminous chests of drawers at the beginning of the century. Even if this model persisted throughout the 18th century, it was during the Regency period that it was most appreciated.

The richness of the bronzes also marks the production of this period. Indeed, they are not only there to reinforce the solidity of the furniture, but also have a decorative role. The fashionable motifs are inevitably the shell and rich falls as our chest of drawers proves. Moreover, it is notably thanks to his bronzes that we can confirm the signature of the cabinetmaker Etienne Doirat. His production is composed of numerous commodes. According to Jean Dominique Augarde, only his late works are stamped (remember that the stamp is mandatory only from 1743).
On the other hand, the importance given to the frieze of the marquetry can only confirm the attribution to Etienne Doirat. He was particularly fond of highlighting the veneers, which he carefully selected among the most prestigious species (such as amaranth, violet wood, rosewood or rosewood). The diamond points are motifs that he is particularly fond of.

This chest of drawers is so full of details, whether in its bronze trimmings or in its milling games, it is impossible for us not to notice its great quality.

Sources:
Kjellberg (Pierre), Le mobilier français du XVIIIe siècle, Les éditions de l'amateur
Demetrescu (Alain), Le style Régence, Les éditions de l'amateur
Augarde (Jean Dominique), Etienne Doirat - Ebony Carpenter, The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal Vol. 13