What defines the Louis XV Revival style in antique furniture?

The Louis XV Revival style, popular in the 19th century, recreates the mid-18th century French aesthetic characterised by serpentine contours, bombe shapes, asymmetrical gilt bronze mounts, and intricate wood marquetry.

What materials are traditionally used in French marquetry commodes?

These pieces traditionally feature a solid hardwood framework covered in exotic timber veneers such as kingwood, rosewood, and tulipwood, complemented by hand-chiselled gilt bronze (ormolu) fittings and a shaped marble top.

How can you identify an authentic 19th-century French commode?

Authentic 19th-century examples display hand-cut dovetail joinery inside the drawers, heavy cast-bronze mounts secured with threaded bolts from behind, and natural wear patterns on both the timber underside and the marble surface.

How do you integrate a French marquetry commode into a modern interior?

A marquetry commode functions as a focal anchor in an entryway or living room, creating contrast when set against minimalist wall panelling, clean contemporary art, or understated neutral decor.

How should an antique marquetry commode with a marble top be maintained?

Dust the timber surfaces regularly with a soft, dry microfibre cloth and keep the piece away from direct heat sources to prevent veneer shrinkage; clean the marble top using a pH-neutral stone cleaner to prevent surface etching.

for sale €4,914 $5,334

£4,200

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Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Name: Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1245699
Price: 4200 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

This is a beautiful antique French Louis XV Revival walnut, kingwood and ormolu-mounted commode, circa 1850 in date.

It has a stunning, shaped Italian Breccia marble top above a serpentine front with two short over two full-width drawers, the drawers fitted with decorative scrolling ormolu handles.

The bombe' commode has serpentine sides, kingwood parquetry, superb decorative gilded bronze ormolu mounts, and is raised on short, shaped ormolu-mounted legs.

A lot of intricate workmanship by a master craftsman has gone into the creation of this wonderful commode.

Complete with working locks and key.

Condition:

In really excellent condition, having been beautifully cleaned, French-polished, and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 82 cm x Width 100 cm x Depth 50 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 8 inches x Width 3 foot, 3 inches x Depth 1 foot, 8 inches

Breccia Marble

Is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix that can be similar to or different from the composition of the fragments.

Breccia rock can be any colour and is very colourful. The colour is determined by the colour of the matrix or cement along with the colour of the angular rock fragments.

The word has its origins in the Italian language, in which it means either "loose gravel" or "stone made by cemented gravel".

Breccia is most often used as an ornamental or facing material in walls and columns. A particularly striking example can be seen in the Pantheon in Rome, which features two gigantic columns of pavonazzetto, a breccia coming from Phrygia, in modern Turkey. Pavonazzetto obtains its name from its extremely colourful appearance, which is reminiscent of a peacock's feathers; pavone is "peacock" in Italian.

Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquetry patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges.

The word derives from the Old French parchet, literally meaning "a small enclosed space". Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684 as parquet de menuiserie to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.

Walnut & Burr Walnut

Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried, it can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced, and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, the more expensive and desirable.

Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However, the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.

King wood

is a classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar colour to sapwood.

The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. It turns well but, due to its density and hardness, can be difficult to work with hand tools.

Our reference: A2263a

Date of Manufacture

Regent Antiques has dated this Louis XV Marquetry Commode to the 1850s.

Independent Date Check ID 09719893

Dealer's Item Date1850s

Sellingantiques Date1850s

Sellingantiques agingItem 135-180 years old

Test ResultsPassed dating check

Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 1850s:

Parquetry veneering in kingwood: 19th-century French revival cabinet work.

Moulded Breccia marble top: thick slab cut for mid-19th-century commodes.

Cast rococo brass mounts: detailed casting seen on Napoleon III furniture.

Solid oak drawer linings: secondary timber standard in quality 19th-century workshops.

This is an independent date and photo anotation report compiled by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions

Height

82cm (32.28")

Width

100cm (39.37")

Depth

50cm (19.69")

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1245699

Dealers Internal Reference

A2263a

Description

This is a beautiful antique French Louis XV Revival walnut, kingwood and ormolu-mounted commode, circa 1850 in date.

“

It has a stunning, shaped Italian Breccia marble top above a serpentine front with two short over two full-width drawers, the drawers fitted with decorative scrolling ormolu handles.

Regent Antiques

fig 1. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 1. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

The bombe' commode has serpentine sides, kingwood parquetry, superb decorative gilded bronze ormolu mounts, and is raised on short, shaped ormolu-mounted legs.

A lot of intricate workmanship by a master craftsman has gone into the creation of this wonderful commode.

fig 2. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 2. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Complete with working locks and key.

Condition:

In really excellent condition, having been beautifully cleaned, French-polished, and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

fig 3. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 3. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Height 82 cm x Width 100 cm x Depth 50 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 2 foot, 8 inches x Width 3 foot, 3 inches x Depth 1 foot, 8 inches

Breccia Marble

Is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix that can be similar to or different from the composition of the fragments.

fig 4. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 4. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Breccia rock can be any colour and is very colourful. The colour is determined by the colour of the matrix or cement along with the colour of the angular rock fragments.

The word has its origins in the Italian language, in which it means either "loose gravel" or "stone made by cemented gravel".

fig 5. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 5. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Breccia is most often used as an ornamental or facing material in walls and columns. A particularly striking example can be seen in the Pantheon in Rome, which features two gigantic columns of pavonazzetto, a breccia coming from Phrygia, in modern Turkey. Pavonazzetto obtains its name from its extremely colourful appearance, which is reminiscent of a peacock's feathers; pavone is "peacock" in Italian.

fig 6. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 6. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquetry patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges.

fig 7. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 7. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

The word derives from the Old French parchet, literally meaning "a small enclosed space". Large diagonal squares known as parquet de Versailles were introduced in 1684 as parquet de menuiserie to replace the marble flooring that required constant washing, which tended to rot the joists beneath the floors.

fig 8. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 8. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Walnut & Burr Walnut

Walnut is a hard, dense, tight- grained wood that polishes to a very smooth finish. It is a popular and attractive wood whose colour ranges from near white in the sapwood to a dark hew in the heartwood. When dried in a kiln, walnut wood tends to develop a dull brown colour, but when air-dried, it can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its colour, hardness and grain, it is a prized furniture and carving wood. Walnut veneer was highly priced, and the cost would reflect the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer – the more decorative, the more expensive and desirable.

fig 9. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 9. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

Burr walnut refers to the swirling figure present in nearly all walnut when cut and polished, and especially in the wood taken from the base of the tree where it joins the roots. However, the true burr is a rare growth on the tree where hundreds of tiny branches have started to grow. Burr walnut produces some of the most complex and beautiful figuring you can find.

fig 10. A 19th-century French Louis XV Revival bombe commode with wood marquetry, a red-and-cream variegated marble top, and ornate gilt bronze mounts. — fig 10. Antique French Louis XV Revival Marquetry Commode Chest 19th C

King wood

is a classic furniture wood, almost exclusively used for inlays on very fine furniture. Occasionally it is used in the solid for small items and turned work, including parts of billiard cues, e.g., those made by John Parris. It is brownish-purple with many fine darker stripes and occasional irregular swirls. Occasionally it contains pale streaks of a similar colour to sapwood.

The wood is very dense and hard and can be brought to a spectacular finish. It turns well but, due to its density and hardness, can be difficult to work with hand tools.

Our reference: A2263a