Commode

Bernard II van Risenburgh veneered the front and sides of this commode with paper-thin sheets of Chinese red lacquer. Another specialized Parisian craftsman, as yet unidentified, painted the remaining surfaces in imitation of a plain red lacquer, using the technique now generally known as vernis Martin. Van Risenburgh then applied gilt-bronze mounts to conceal the edges of the Chinese red lacquer veneer.A marchand-mercier, a Parisian dealer who bought Asian goods and re-made them for sale to French clients, probably commissioned the work from the craftsmen. Since the French particularly admired the lacquer surfaces of cabinets, chests, and screens imported from China and Japan, such dealers removed the lacquer panels from their original wooden supports and reattached them to traditional French furniture forms.