{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O53325"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O53325/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM9212/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM9212/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM9212","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9208","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9211","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9209","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AV6402","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MU7529","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O53325/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O53325","accessionNumber":"W.8:1 to 4-1967","objectType":"Commode","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>Commodes were first made in France in the late 17th century. This example was inspired by mid-18th-century French furniture. French-style commodes with floral marquetry were made in London from 1759.<br><br><b>People</b><br>Pierre Langlois (active 1759-1767) must have trained in  one of the best Paris marquetry  workshops, possibly that of Jean-Fran‡ois Oeben (1721-1763). Langlois shared his London premises in Tottenham Court Road with his son-in-law, the bronze-caster and gilder Dominique Jean, who made the mounts for his furniture. Langlois's London clients included John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (1710-1771), George William, 6th Earl of Coventry (1722-1809), and Horace Walpole.  He sent furniture to Lady Louisa Connolly in Ireland at Castletown House, County Kildare, and to Elizabeth, Duchess of Northumberland, at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland.<br><br><b>Materials & Making</b><br>The original marble top is an unusual feature in Langlois's London work, for the tops of his commodes are usually inlaid with marquetry. The shading of the inlay (achieved by scorching in hot sand) is particularly effective (for example, the corners of the eyes of Pan's mask on the side panels). The ormolu (gilt bronze) mounts are identical to those on documented commodes supplied by Langlois to the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Coventry. The commode still has its original key with an ormolu handle.","physicalDescription":"Commode. Oak or pine carcass veneered with rosewood and various other woods. Stringing lines of pewter; small sections of brass stringing on the lute. Ormolu mounts and with marble top.\nThe commode of of bombe form, this shape being carried right through to the back corners. The two large drawers meet without any division between them and the front is decorated as a single unit. A central motif is contained within an irregular cartouche framework of ormolu mounts with leaf scrolls and this shape is echoed by a pewter stringing line which runds just inside the framework. The marquetry design consists of a trophy of musical instruments and flowers suspended from a ribbon and surrounded by acanthus leaves. At the top is a keyhole escutcheon of asymetrical rocaille form. The lock operates down through the thickness of the top drawer, the tenon passing through a metal tab projecting through the drawers into the top of the lower drawer.\nThe ormolu framework continues from the cartouche shape along the top of the upper drawer, down the sides of the drawers and back along the lower edge of the bottom drawer to the cartouche and each of the secondary enclosures so formed is outlined in pewter stringing lines and decorated with marquetry acanthus leaves.\nThese outer reserves also contain the asymetrical drawer handles of elaborate rococo form which are set diagonally and at opposing angles on the two drawers. There is an apron piece, having a serpentine edge and mounted with a pouting mask flanked by acanthus scrolls.\nEach side of the commode has a trophy of musical instruments and flowers in an oval reserve outlined by a stringing line in a light wood.. Four irregularly shaped frames of ormolu with acanthus leaves occupy the four spandrels at the corners and their shape is repeated just inside the frame by a stringing line of light wood.\nThe four corners of the commode have elaborate mounts of acanthus foliage and stylised husk motifs which spring from French scroll mounts embellishing the feet. On the back feet these mounts extend backwards beyond the rear of the commode.\nThere is a chalk sketch on the underside of the wooden top. It is not clear if this refers to the construction of the commode. Part of the inscription appears to be '9 inche'. The mounts are identical to those on a commode convincingly attributed to Langlois now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. This is related to a pair at Woburn, for which Langlois charged £40 in 1760.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Langlois, Pierre","id":"A8597"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"probably"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oak","id":"AAT12264"},{"text":"rosewood","id":"AAT12424"},{"text":"pewter","id":"AAT10979"},{"text":"marble","id":"AAT11443"}],"techniques":[{"text":"marquetry","id":"AAT53853"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Rosewood and marquetry of other woods, with pewter, gilt-bronze mounts and marble slab","categories":[{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"},{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AM9212","2006AM9208","2006AM9211","2006AM9209","2006AV6402","2021MU7529"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"53A (VA)","id":"THES49763"},"free":"","case":"PL4","shelf":"","box":"50"},{"current":{"text":"53A (VA)","id":"THES49763"},"free":"","case":"PL4","shelf":"","box":"50"},{"current":{"text":"53A (VA)","id":"THES49763"},"free":"","case":"PL4","shelf":"","box":"50"},{"current":{"text":"FWK3 (VA)","id":"THES49462"},"free":"","case":"KEYS","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Commode","id":""}],[{"text":"drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"key","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1765","earliest":"1760-01-01","latest":"1769-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the assistance of the Murray Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"86.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"132.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"59.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Registered Description; 18/01/1999 by MH","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Probably made by Pierre Langlois (active 1759-1767) in London.\r\n\r\nThe mounts on the front corners of this commode are identical in design to those on the commode W.3-1962, but there is some uncertainty as to whether the mounts on that commode (about 1765) have been added at a later date.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"[*] Langlois commode","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ramond, Pierre. La Marqueterie. Paris, Editions Vial, 1981, p. 50\r\nRamond, Pierre.  Marquetry.  1st ed. published in English by Taunton Press, 1989.  Revised edition, Paris, Editions Vial, 2002, p. 50\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"CHEST OF DRAWERS\r\nENGLISH; about 1765\r\nMarquetry of various woods, with ormolu mounts and marble tops\r\n\r\nProbably made by Pierre Langlois.\r\n\r\nPurchased under the bequest of Captain H.B. Murray.","date":{"text":"pre October 2000","earliest":null,"latest":"2000-09-30"}},{"text":"British Galleries:\r\nPierre Langlois, a cabinet-maker of French descent, worked in London between about 1756 and 1767. His French-style commodes (chests of drawers) were markedly Parisian in technique and design. This example shows coloured floral marquetry, gilt-bronze mounts and an elegant curvature to the front and sides, all of which are features that would have been fashionable in France a few years earlier.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["W.8:1-1967","W.8:2-1967","W.8:3-1967","W.8:4-1967"],"accessionNumberNum":"8","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1967,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Commode","drawer [1]","drawer [2]","key"],"assets":["2019LN0782","2019LN1508","2019LN6188","2019LP7040","2019LP2266","2019LR5197","2019LU9204","2019LV7498","2019LV6006"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-14","recordCreationDate":"2001-01-29","availableToBook":false}}