Highlight objects at Buckingham Palace
Learn more about the decorative arts on display at Buckingham Palace this summer
Commode
1785-90Oak, ebony, hardstones, tortoiseshell, brass, pewter, mahogany, boxwood, purplewood, gilt bronze, brocatello marble | 100.3 x 149.8 x 48.3 cm (whole object) | RCIN 2593
The leading Louis XVI ébéniste (cabinetmaker), Adam Weisweiler, made this cabinet by combining late 18th century furniture with 17th century Florentine hardstone decorative panels. It was probably bought by George IV for Carlton House in 1791. The panels on the left and right depict a tulip and crown imperial. A 17th century audience would immediately have known these depictions were suggestive of botanical trade and wealth. The reuse of these panels in the 18th century is a testimony to the high quality and value of the Florentine workshop.
