Lot 156: A LOUIS XV ORMOLU-MOUNTED RED, BLACK AND GILT JAPANNED COMMODE CIRCA 1745, STAMPED I. DUBOIS JME

Jacques Dubois (1694-1763), maître in 1742

height 34 1/2 in.; width 55 in.; depth 25 3/4 in. 87.5 cm; 140 cm; 65.5 cm

circa 1745, stamped<EM> I. Dubois JME</EM>

Jacques Dubois was one of the most important ébénistes of the Louis XV period. From his workshop on the Faubourg Saint-Antoine he produced pieces for a number of marchands merciers such as Léger Bertin, solely in the Louis XV style, and he is known to have often designed his own mounts. His furniture was of excellent quality and he produced luxurious pieces a great many of which were in Chinese or Japanese lacquer. On his death in 1763, the inventory reveals a number of pieces decorated in such a fashion, and also lists a large stock of ormolu mounts ? 432 livres pesant de modèles de bronze, prisés 1 080 L. This suggests that Dubois was anxious to protect his exclusive use of these models and stocked large quantities of unchased mounts which he kept available for use on his furniture and for supplying to the chaser and gilder.

A red lacquer commode by Dubois, possibly this lot, was included in the 1910 exhibition in Paris, La Chinoiserie en Europe: "Commode de forme chantournée à deux tiroirs en laque rouge et or, décor de paysages et d'oiseaux encadré de laque noir uni et bronzes dorés travail européen -EP Louis XV. -Estampille de J. Dubois. App à M.G. Arnoux." A commode attributed to Dubois with almost identical ormolu mounts and of the same shape was sold Sotheby's New York, May 24, 2007, lot 236.