A German gilt-bronze mounted walnut, boxwood, maple commode, Bayreuth, circa 1760-1765, attributed to Johann Friedrich and Heinrich Wilhelm Spindler

Christie’s New York, 23 september 1989, lot 211 (sold 240 000 $ hammer price).

S. Sangl, "Spindler ? ", Furniture History, Vol. 27, 1991 

Related literature

H. Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Part II, Munich, 1970, n°794

Production in Bayreuth of the Spindler Brothers

This commode belongs to a very small group of pieces of furniture from Bayreuth, published by Sigrid Sangl in her article "Spindler?", Furniture History, Vol. 27, 1991, illustrated in figs. 41 and 42. It reflects the highest level of cabinetmaking in Franconia, during the reign of Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth, sister of Frederick II, King of Prussia, and her husband, Margrave Frederick III of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

The brothers Johann Friedrich Spindler and Heinrich Wilhelm Spindler, sons of Johann Jacob Spindler, apprenticed as cabinetmakers in Bayreuth. During the first part of their careers in Bayreuth, they likely worked for Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth and Margrave Frederick III of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. They are credited with creating the wainscoting for the Schloss Fantaisie zu Donndorf, near Bayreuth, commissioned by the daughter of Wilhelmine of Bayreuth and now housed in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (inv. 61/71.1-44).

They then moved to Potsdam in 1763-1764 at the request of Frederick II, King of Prussia. There, they became among the most renowned cabinetmakers in Germany, known for their sumptuous marquetry commodes made for the Neues Palais at Sanssousci, Potsdam, for which the bronze mounts were the work of Johann Melchior Kambli (1718-1783).

Stylistic Similarities with the Bayreuth Commode Group

The shape of these bombé commodes is quite characteristic of the Bayreuth commode group, as described by Sigrid Sangl, with its outwardly curved legs, distinctive serpentine apron, and tripartite division on the front and top. The use of typical native woods such as walnut and maple is typical of Bayreuth production before their move to Potsdam, where they began using exotic woods.

Two groups of pieces clearly stand out from Bayreuth production in the 1760s: those decorated with marquetry of ancient ruins and those decorated with marquetry of pastoral scenes, probably based on Flemish engravings. This type of marquetry is found on a commode attributed to the Spindler brothers at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Inv. 2013/152). The latter features a scene with a shepherdess on the front and, on the sides, reclining shepherdesses, in the same style as the marquetry on our front. These scenes, drawn from the Arcadian world, evoke a certain Flemish influence, which was especially appreciated by Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth.

On our commode, framing the top and front, are Rocaille cartouches with trelliswork, motifs highly prized in Franconia and notably used on other commodes by the Spindler brothers, including the commode in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg (Inv. Nr. Hg. 12541), illustrated by Sigrid Sangl in fig. 25, as well as the one in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum. Other commodes have this same characteristic, notably the one sold by Sotheby’s New York, on 5 November , 1998, lot 431 (sold $211,500), as well as a commode at the Altes Schloss Eremitage in Bayreuth.