Exceptional Boulle Marquetry Commode Attributed To Nicolas Sageot

An exceptional Boulle marquetry commode in “contre-partie” of pewter, brass, mother-of-pearl, and ebony. It rests on four small feet and features three drawers. The sides and top are richly decorated with grotesques in the style of Jean Bérain, depicting butterflies, masks, birds, fantastical creatures, flowers, baskets of fruit, scrolling foliage, clovers, acrobats, musicians, and putti, all intricately engraved with relative symmetry. The chest is adorned with exquisite bronze mounts, including shells flanked at the feet, dolphin-shaped drop handles, Bacchus masks as key escutcheons, and decorative motifs along the edges. The slightly protruding rear supports feature an upright marquetry frieze of interlacing arabesques within a vertical frame.
Attributed to Nicolas Sageot
Louis XIV period
Customary restoration
Dimensions: H. 81.5 x W. 121 x D. 67 cm  

The gallery often presents exceptional furniture selections. However, this particular piece deserves our full attention. It is a marvel of creativity, originality, craftsmanship, luxury, and history. All four sides of the chest of drawers are lavishly decorated, each telling a story that transports us back in time. The intricate designs of characters, imaginary creatures, and rich ornaments would have undoubtedly met the high standards of an elite of society 300 years ago.

The commode’s elaborate decor references the arabesque designs of Jean Bérain (1637-1711). While we might wonder if Bérain drew the marquetry compositions directly, it is difficult to confirm as few of his drawings have survived. Historians remind us that Jean Bérain was one of the most influential designers of the 17th century. His drawings were widely circulated, and an engraved collection was published the year of his death. Given the exceptional quality of the design, it is likely that we are looking at direct inspiration from Bérain's creations. The refined grotesques, including musicians, among other elements on the top panel, are recurring motifs in his work. In 1674, Bérain was appointed royal designer to Louis XIV   while creating elaborate decors for royal events, and in 1690, he was appointed chief decorator of the royal apartments of the Louvre.

Although several artisans contribute to creating such masterpieces, the cabinetmaker is the master craftsman. In the absence of a maker’s stamp (which was neither expected nor required at the time), further research is necessary. We must compare the marquetry (sides, drawers, and top panels), the bronzes (foot mounts, key escutcheons, handles, frame bands), the overall shape of the commode, and the materials used with other known works. Our research leads us to Nicolas Sageot (1666-1731), a cabinetmaker under Louis XIV's reign known for producing exceptional works. His workshop was close to that of Jean Bérain’s at the Louvre. Sageot’s creations follow the marquetry tradition of André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732). 

Boulle marquetry generally involves layered veneers that combine different metals, precious woods, and tortoiseshells. The design is cut out using a fine fretsaw. In our case, there are inlays of mother of pearl that create a beautiful, eye-catching effect.

Our piece's side panels strongly resemble those found on other commodes, such as one in the Wallace Collection in London. Also attributed to Nicolas Sageot and dated towards 1700, the museum's commode has been compared to several works by the cabinetmaker. There is little doubt about its origins, especially given that its twin was sold in Paris in 2008, and a nearly identical model, most possibly its contre-partie, was sold in 2012. Another commode, sold at Sotheby’s (lot 27, June 21, 2021), features identical side panels made of red tortoiseshell, similar to many others presented at auction. They, too, share the same side panel designs. Musicians often appear on this type of commode with Boulle marquetry, whether it is a coincidence or a popular theme. 

The drawers and top surface have uncommon designs compared to other works by Sageot. Though it had four drawers and was made with red tortoiseshell, another commode associated with Sageot with closely similar motifs on the drawers, sides, and top was sold at Sotheby’s (lot 52, May 23, 2023. This includes putti figures, scrolls of foliage, strange creatures, flower festoons, butterflies, fruit, masks, etc. Though our commode presents a more complex composition, with a delicate assemblage of pewter, brass, ebony, and mother-of-pearl, it is interesting to observe the similarities of the marquetry. 

The bronze fittings are very instructive for studying a cabinetmaker’s corpus. A commode sold by Partridge Fine Arts in London has a D-shape  (with more significant rounded supports at the front) as ours with similar materials (except for the mother-of-pearl) and the same bronze shoe mounts in the form of a scallop shell with scrolling acanthus leaves. Another commode reproduced in Pierre Raymond’s publication « André-Charle Boulle, ébéniste, ciseleur et marqueteur du Roy » (ex-Galerie Gismondi collection) p.146, is attributed to Nicolas Sageot and also has identical shoe mounts. In the same book, a second commode is reproduced p.151 (also former Gismondi Collection) and attributed to Sageot. It features the same key escutcheons, similar drop handles, and an identical framework enclosing each side (including the top surface). Another commode sold by Kohn auction house (June 23, 2015, lot 13) has a similar shape to ours, with identical bands along the edges and framing the top surface.

Following this information, there is little doubt that our commode is the work of Nicolas Sageot. He was active as early as the 1690s and was first recorded working in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1698. He was initially established as a "free worker" and later joined the cabinetmakers guild. His productions mainly consisted of wardrobes, chests of drawers, and desks. He is primarily known for excelling in the Boulle marquetry and promoting it through his work. We also know that Sageot was a cabinetmaker and a successful dealer who subcontracted parts of his work to skilled artisans such as Toussaint Devoye (active between 1706 and 1748). It was not uncommon then for cabinetmakers like Nicolas Sageot or Noël Gérard to supply specialists with raw materials, which were returned ready to be applied (mounted on carcasses). Devoye provided the marquetry for many of Sageot’s productions. Sageot retired in 1720.

Nicolas Sageot has recently been reappraised alongside his rival, André-Charles Boulle. Pierre Grand’s article in "L'objet d'Art" (February 1993) aroused much interest in Sageot’s work, resulting in the reattribution of several pieces to him.

Our commode dates from 1700-1720 and displays opulence at its peak. The mother-of-pearl inlays bring subtle polychrome to the sophisticated grotesque designs. This symbolic piece, composed of costly materials, testifies to the refinement and luxury in decorative arts during the last years of Louis XIV's reign.