BY LEONARD BOUDIN, CIRCA 1770

Léonard Boudin maître in 1761. In the early 1770s, he supplied furniture in floral marquetry and in chinoiserie lacquer for ébéniste like Migeon, Peridiez, or Moreau. From his shop in the Rue Froidmanteau, Boudin subcontracted to contemporary ébénistes such as Gilbert, Topino, Tuart, Foullet. Increasingly acting as a marchand-ébéniste, Boudin was one of the most prolific of the Transitional Period, and, above all, a grossiste du meuble. That's why his stamps as a marchand often appear alongside those of the makers, with whom he collaborated frequently. The present commode, with its specific ivory marquetry representing the presentation of Jesus in the temple, belongs to a small group identified and discussed by P. Kjellberg in his book le Mobilier du XVIIIeme siecle Francais, 1989 pp 792-793. Kjellberg suggests that one unknown ébéniste dedicated his production to this specific sort of marquetry panels and retailed them to his confreres as Schlichtig, Cosson, Deloose, and trough them, Boudin. A comparable transition commode by Schlichtig is illustrated in Op cit., p. 792.