A PAIR OF SWISS RACINE D'OLIVIER POLLARD ELM AND MARQUETRY BREAKFRONT COMMODES

These elegant commodes are embellished with racine d'olivier or olive root marquetry, a highly rare decoration often associated with cabinet-makers active in the East of France near Strasbourg, Switzerland and Germany. The technique consists of ovals cut to show their most contrasting figuring and arranged to create an intricate pattern.

With its distinctive 'bois de bout' or end-cut parquetry decoration, Transitional form and enamel handles, this commode can be attributed to the Bern cabinet-maker Christoph Hopfengärtner. A closely related commode - clearly executed in the same workshop - is in Schloss Sigmaringen and all three commodes share several of the distinctive characteristics with Hopfengärtner's 1790 Meisterstück - the secretaire in the Historisches Museum, Bern. The related works are illustrated in H. Kresiel, die Kunst des Deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1973, figs. 186, 189, 190-193.