Chest of drawers

In the 18th century, during the Regency and Rococo periods, the chest of drawers became an indispensable and at the same time decorative accessory. The Polish name of the piece of furniture (komoda) is derived from the Latin comodus, which passed into the French commode meaning comfortable. One of the forms of the chest of drawers during the reign of Louis XV was the ‘a labombé’ chest of drawers with curved flowing planes of the body supported by curved legs. Its surface was covered with veneers and inlays made from various exotic woods. Gilded bronze fittings, which in the Regency period were finer than during the Rococo period, are an integral part of this piece of furniture, emphasising its tectonics. They were shaped in such a way as to wrap around the body and form drawer handles, keyholes rims and leg covers. The furniture as a whole gave the impression of being made of a single material. In French furniture this effect was enhanced by facing the front of the drawers to the front of the chest, without traverses separating the individual drawers. Originating from the former collection of the Potocki family, this chest of drawers is topped with marble. The shallow edge profile and the white colour of the lengthen stone are not in line with the Rococo period. The interior and technical details reveal that this piece of furniture was made in the second half of the 19th century, when the fashion for historical styles was prevailing. This chest of drawers is an imitation of Rococo known as Neo-rococo or Second Rococo. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967