John Borley

I discovered the original piece in Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. The ROM says it came from the Montreal area, likely built between 1750-1810. (The Louis XV style was still common in Quebec long after it went out of style in France.) The piece has a breakfront/reverse-arbalète front, curved frame-and-panel sides and extensive carving. The ROM believes “the commode was probably finished by a specialized church sculpteur, separately contracted by the maker.”

            The ROM generously allowed me to take pictures and measurements. But there was no information on how it was built, so there was a lot of trial-and-error. I’m sure I haven’t come close to the work of the original craftsmen, but it was fun trying.

            You can see the original piece at Results – Search Objects – ROM Online Collection