French 19th Century Louis XV style Ormolu Mounted Commode by Hopillart & Leroy Paris #2882

A fine French Parisian19th Century gilt bronze mounted marble topped bombe commode ink marked Hopillart & Leroy Paris.

French - Paris circa 1860

An impressive commode of imposing bombe form with finely coloured quarter veneered and entwined foliate and scroll mounts. The shaped and moulded 1 1/4 inch thick Breche Du Benou marble top above two drawers sans traverse centred by a female mask within a tripartite scrolling frame, with conforming sides, raised on splayed feet ending in gilt sabots. The top of the carcass with stencil markings Meubles Et Bronzes Anciens / Hopillart & Leroy Paris 12 Rue Des St Peres.

In wonderful condition with a superb faded colour to the veneers with contrasting gilt ormolu. The top having a finely coloured and superbly figured rare marble, there has been an extremely professional historic repair / strengthening which is only visible to the underside. We have added an image of the back showing this commode being older than most dating to mid 19th century.

The Maison Hopillart was established in 1781 and still operates on the Rue des Saints- Pères under the name of Galerie Hopilliart Leroux. Marcel Proust was one of their more famous clients, purchasing numerous items there and even selling some of his own furniture through them. In a 1912 letter to his friend, the composer Reynaldo Hahn, Proust mentions a pair of tables de salon that Hahn examined for him at Hopillart.