A LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED TULIPWOOD AND AMARANTH BOMBE COMMODE

This impressive commode is one of the most ambitious known models by François Reizell (maître in 1764) who is most chiefly remembered for his floral marquetry. The incredibly rich mounts and sober veneers which adorn the present commode indeed set it apart from Reizell’s more traditional production.
Of German origin, Reizell started his career in the quartier des ébénistes before leaving the Faubourg Saint-Antoine for the rue des Saints-Pères. Interestingly, the young ébéniste Joseph Baumhauer, dit Joseph (d. 1772) - who became one of the foremost ébénistes of the Louis XV period - is recorded to have worked in Reizell's atelier, whilst the marchand-ébéniste Léonard Boudin is known to have retailed Reizell’s work. The latter’s most famed patrons included Louis Joseph de Bourbon-Condé, Prince de Condé (1736-1818) for whom Reizell executed a large number of pieces for the Palais-Bourbon and the château de Chantilly.