A Commode Stamped J. Birckle Dating From The 18th Century

A charming commode, curved at the front and sides, opening with three drawers.

The frame and drawers are made of oak and adorned with marquetry of rosewood reserves on a satinwood ground, highlighted with boxwood stringing.

The "Rouge Royal" marble top is molded with a corbel-shaped edge that follows the curve of the front and sides.

Finely chased and gilded bronze mounts adorn the drawers and the base, as well as the pinched front uprights topped with corner mounts and the feet with hoof feet.

To complete its charm and elegance, its small size (H. 90 cm x W. 67 cm x D. 50 cm) makes it a delightful piece for a parlor.

Parisian work

Marked JME and stamped under the lower rail J.BIRCKLE for Jacques Bircklé (1734-1803), who became a master craftsman on July 30, 1764.

18th century

A journeyman before becoming a master craftsman, Jacques Bircklé worked on Rue de Charenton and then Rue Saint-Nicolas. Between 1785 and 1789, he received commissions for Queen Marie Antoinette at the Château de Saint-Cloud, for Madame Élisabeth de Montreuil, for the Duke of Orléans, and for the Princess de Lamballe.

His output was abundant, varied, and of fine quality. Bircklé appears as a conscientious cabinetmaker, not seeking luxury or preciousness, but rather decorative effect.

He excelled in this, thanks to his talent as a marquetry craftsman. In most of his furniture, marquetry predominates, in bright, contrasting tones, designed with simplicity and without superfluous detail. Made of light-stained wood, the marquetry most often stands out against a dark veneer background.

Alongside these characteristic pieces, Bircklé also produced simpler, always high-quality furniture veneered in rosewood, kingwood, mahogany, or satinwood.

Ref: French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg