A Louis XV-era Chest Of Drawers With Hinged Doors, Stamped “delorme,” Lacquered In The Japanese Style

A Japanese-style lacquered chest of drawers.

It rests on four curved legs and features two drawers with hidden dividers on the front. The front is richly decorated with a large cartouche formed by foliage and scrollwork.

The chest is topped with a red Belgian marble slab molded in a “bec de corbin” profile along the entire perimeter of the piece.

Louis XV

H. 81 x W. 97 x. D. 54 cm

Shows signs of use

Eldest son of François Delorme (1691–1768)—who was based on Rue Tiquetonne and specialized in Chinese lacquer furniture or pieces finished “in the Chinese style” —Adrien Delorme came from a family of artisans whose original surname was Faizelot. Based on Rue du Temple, he worked there as a furniture maker and dealer. In August 1768, he was elected to the jury of the community of carpenters and cabinetmakers. Almanacs of the time described him as “one of the most skilled and renowned for his marquetry work.” His two brothers were also cabinetmakers: the eldest, Jean-Louis Delorme (who became a master craftsman in 1763), specialized in the restoration and resale of Boulle-style furniture, and the younger, Alexis (who became a master craftsman in 1772), devoted himself to the furniture trade on Rue Saint-Denis.

His work—which displays great imagination—is characterized primarily by curved chests of drawers crafted in the Louis XV style. In addition to chests of drawers, Delorme also crafted corner cabinets, wardrobes, bookcases, and desks, which he adorned with Chinese and Japanese lacquer, European varnishes, or floral and geometric marquetry. These compositions are often complemented by frames of sinuous foliage motifs. Set against a herringbone veneer background in starkly contrasting tones, these foliage motifs were Adrien Delorme’s favorite decorative element. Among the cabinetmaker’s characteristic motifs are also a rectangular inlay panel featuring a grid pattern, circumscribed by a triple row of frames with interlaced corners, as well as a star-shaped arrangement of solid veneers.

Adrien Delorme decided to cease his business in 1783 and sold off his inventory at an auction featuring “numerous chests of drawers, corner cabinets, paper holders, and desks, adorned with gilded cast iron and featuring marble and alabaster tops.”