Commode

Artist Attributed to William Hallett (English | British, 1707-1781)

Place of OriginEngland

Dateabout 1750

DimensionsH: 37 in. (94 cm); W: 55 3/4 in. (141.5 cm); Depth: 27 1/2 in. (69.7 cm)

MediumMahogany veneer, slate, brass, gilt bronze

ClassificationFurniture

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott

Object number

1979.12

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 27

Label TextThis commode, or chest, originally decorated a bedroom or dining room in a private home. While the canted angles on the corners carved with lion masks and acanthus leaves recall architectural motifs from the early decades of the 1700s, the sinuous form and spectacular details of the carving and the gilded bronze mounts exemplify the ornamental style characteristic of the 1750s when the chest was made. The elegant carved doors are false: two doors swing open from the center face to reveal sliding shelves within. The slate top is a rare feature for such a work.