Louis XV Period Nantes-style Chest Of Drawers In Solid Mahogany

A very fine Louis XV commode in solid figured mahogany, the double-arched front opening to reveal three drawers adorned with a fine three-row molding. It rests on four scrolled feet; the lower rails are molded, shaped, and embellished with small volutes; the top is molded with a corbel edge. The back panels are made of oak, fir, alder, and beech. It retains its beautiful keyhole escutcheons and cast brass handles; the escutcheons and handle rosettes are decorated with fleur-de-lis, and the locks are also original. A hallmark of the Nantes Guild of Craftsmen, half ermine of Brittany and half fleur-de-lis of France, dated 1722, is stamped on the edge of the upper drawer; this is the first hallmark to be applied. Five different guild marks have been recorded on Nantes furniture, bearing the dates 1722, 1767, and 1770 in a circle, 1776 in an oval, and 1787 in an irregular octagon. We can reasonably assume that since the hallmark was not renewed annually, the furniture bearing the 1722 hallmark was made between 1722 and 1767. It is in very good condition, with conservation restoration work carried out. Nantes work from the Louis XV period. Bibliography: Françoise Maillet, Le décor Nantais de l'Armateur au XVIIIème; Louis Malfoy, Le Meuble de Port.