French work circa 1710-1715, follower of Etienne Doirat (French, 1675-1732) Chest of drawers with slightly curved front in rosewood veneer with geometric motifs, opening with three rows of drawers. The top, also inlaid, is edged with an ingot mould. The pinched uprights, decorated with brass platinum, are extended by slightly arched legs. Rich ormolu ornamentation: falling "espagnolettes", pull handles with shells, keyhole escutcheons with sphinxes and foliage. Height 84.5 Width 140 Depth 69.5 cm. (missing parts, small accidents, veneer restorations mainly on the sides) Provenance: collection of a château in the Lochois region. Follower of Etienne Doirat, ca. 1710-1715. An ormolu-mounted palissander veneer chest of drawers. Brass ornaments. The use of ornaments from the Commedia dell'arte is characteristic of the French taste around 1730, popularized by ornamentalists Daniel Marot and Jean Bérain, as well as painter Antoine Watteau. The production of cabinetmaker Etienne Doirat (1675-1732), which flourished during the Regency period, is defined in particular by recurring motifs of busty women with collars, known as "aux espagnolettes". Rediscovered late in his career, Doirat now offers only a small corpus of stamped furniture, yet he was a major inspiration for Rocaille production, as evidenced by the bronzes adorning our commode. Although of lesser quality, they are similar to those on a commode in the Musée du Petit Palais in Paris (ODUT01757).