Getty Museum

Commode

Date

about 1850–1900

Medium

White and red oak, poplar and fir veneered with tulipwood and kingwood; gilt-bronze mounts; iron lock hardware; Rance limestone top

Culture

French

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

Evidence from technical analysis suggests that this commode was made in the second half of the 1800s using old wood and new bronze mounts. Some of the wood came from a genuine 1700s piece stamped “DELORME,” for Adrien Faizelot Delorme (died after 1783, master 1748), and “N. PETIT,” for Nicolas Petit (1732–1791, master 1761). Whoever produced this commode knew the significance of these stamps and included the old section of wood that carried the names. Therefore, the commode is an intentional fake, meant to deceive people into thinking it was made in the mid 1700s. The bronze mounts are close copies of those found on commodes of this model made in the mid 1700s by Joseph Baumhauer, [one of which is also in the Getty collection](https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/5359/). A few substantial differences exist, though, indicating that they were not cast directly from any of the Baumhauer mounts; rather, the later bronze caster may have referenced a drawing or photograph of original mounts when making these copies.

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