Liege chest of drawers

The King Baudouin Foundation received this 18th century Liege chest of drawers, known as a commode, with the mission to exhibit it in a public place that was not a museum. It was duly exhibited in the former throne room (currently the first-floor Wedding Hall) of Liege Town Hall.

During the 18th century, Liege furniture was extremely popular. The commode began to appear in Liege interiors around 1730. It was a simple piece of storage furniture, with a curved front, generally with three drawers and set upon zoomorphic feet. Unlike the upper part of French commodes, which were usually in marble, the Liege chests of drawers were made entirely in wood. Given the sumptuous decoration in the form of rocaille, flowers, foliage, and C-shaped decoration and architectonic motifs, the sculptors and cabinetmakers, each specialised in his own field, would in all likelihood have worked in close collaboration.