Jean-frédéric Ratié & Jme - Large Chest Of Drawers With Double Projection - Greek Style - Transition

Jean-Frédéric Ratié (1755-1838) and JME
Transitional chest of drawers, with double central and single lateral projection; with three drawers without crossbar.
Rosewood and fruitwood veneer on oak frame; gilded bronzes and marble top with gilded bronzes and a Languedoc marble top with a griotte gutter.
Double stamped, with a Jurande mark near the front and back left (front and back left jambs)
Paris, circa 1780
Dimensions with marble : W. 113 ; D. 50 ; H. 89 (cm.)

The commode, jewel of the Transition or "Greek" style
This large chest of drawers is quite elaborate. Indeed, it has a double central projection and a single lateral projection and has three drawers without a crossbar. This piece of furniture is made of an oak frame assembled with dowels and dovetails. The veneer is integral on three sides: rosewood and fruitwood (partly stained) for the for the fillets. The marquetry, with very sober neoclassical friezes, is in irreproachable condition. The arrangement of the veneer cuts shows a great quality in the choice of the wood species: the drawers and recesses reflect the light admirably, which is further enhanced by the few gilded bronzes.
The Languedoc cherry marble has a beautiful polish and its cut-out accompanies well the lines of this beautiful piece of furniture. The chests of drawers are real markers of the transition style (around 1755-1775), the excessive curves and counter-curves of the Rococo style are followed by a return to rigour: symmetry, sobriety, straight forms; which can be seen in particular on the upper part of our chest of drawers.

The importance of the stamp...
Jean-Frédéric Ratié or Rathier, received his master's degree in 1783, was a Parisian cabinetmaker whose furniture was of a very high quality of his furniture, as evidenced by late orders from the Garde Meuble Royal for three chests of drawers for the the Château de Saint-Cloud in 1791. The stamp JME next to the stamp is an abbreviation of the words "Jurande des Maîtres Ebénistes". This stamp is used to control the production of master cabinetmakers and to collect taxes for the operation of the guild. Despite the late acceptance as a master cabinetmaker with regard to the execution of the transitional style, this chest of drawers is not an isolated case.

Thus we compare the same cabinetmaker, and stamped as such :
- a large mahogany writing chest of drawers in the transitional style (with JME mark) sold by an important merchant in Lyon.
- a transitional style marquetry secretary with flap, also stamped JME, sold at Versailles in 2009
- a commode with a simple projection, sold at Drouot about five years ago.

Our chest of drawers is a perfect summary of the intense activity that reigned in Paris at the end of the Ancien Régime among the quality of the workmanship, both in the frame and in the veneer, is particularly noteworthy. 

Provenance: Haussmannian flat in the 16th district.

Condition report: furniture restored by our cabinetmaker. The old "varnish" has been revived to bring out the multiple contrasts of the
contrasts of the marquetry. To note, some old bronzes, dating from the 19th century, and of good
the 18th century with their original gilding. The marble is also an old one and recutted. Restorations
of use and maintenance.

More pictures, conditions of sales/shipping over asking