French (Paris), 1769
By Gilles Joubert (1689-1775, royal cabinetmaker 1763-1774)
Oak veneered with kingwood, tulipwood, holly, bois satiné, and ebony; gilt bronze; marble top

This commode is veneered with various woods and set with gilt bronze. It is approximately three feet high, six feet wide, and a little over two feet deep. A pinkish, gray and beige marble, with dark red streaks, covers the top and is slightly scalloped at the four corners. Below the marble is a band of running scrolls in gilt bronze. The three panels at front and one on each side are decorated with a pattern resembling a garden trellis: light colored wood is crossed by thin strips of dark wood. At each crossing is placed a small gilt bronze rosette. The four corners of each of the five panels are accented by larger rosettes. Two pairs of gold knob handles are placed on either side of the central panel. At each of the front corners is a female bust of gilt bronze. The commode is supported by four gilt bronze lion's feet.

The label reads: Joubert was eighty years old when he delivered this commode to the royal family. It is one of a pair that was installed at Versailles in 1769. They are described in the royal archives under the inventory number 2556, which is also painted on the back of this commode. It was made for the bedroom of Madame Louise of France, one of the daughters of Louis XV.