One of the missions of M.S. Rau Antiques is to seek out and provide our clients with the absolute finest antiques, works of art and jewelry...something we like to call The Best of The Best. To come across pieces that embody the key elements of beauty, rarity and history is what really excites us.

This opulent Royal Commode by Henry Dasson is just such an antique. In terms of rarity and history, it is distinguished by not just one, but two of the most important craftsmen, or ébénistes, to have ever lived. The great Henry Dasson based its design on a pair of commodes André Charles Boulle created for Louis XIV bedchamber at Versailles' Grand Trianon apartment in 1708. The commodes beauty radiates through the most resplendent, hand chased doré bronze work and Boulle marquetry we have seen. This commode truly has it all.

Henry Dasson is ranked among the most important ébénistes, or cabinetmakers, of the 19th century. He made a name for himself in Paris early in his career by creating furnishings and objets d'art inspired by the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. His reputation and outstanding craftsmanship garnered him favor with the most important figures in the French aristocracy, namely the Empress Eugenie. Her tastes were largely responsible for the resurgence of the Baroque, and when she saw his work, she immediately appointed Dasson as her personal cabinetmaker.

What makes Dasson so extraordinary was that he not only mastered the designs of his predecessors, including the famed Boulle, but he was able to vastly improve upon the methods in which those 17th and 18th century furnishings were created. Using more sophisticated tools, Dasson became renowned for his magnificent and technically superior doré bronze work, to which the present commode can attest.

Finding the most outstanding pieces for our gallery, no matter how cliché it may sound, it's by far the most rewarding aspect of what we do at M.S. Rau Antiques. There is no greater feeling of satisfaction than the reactions of our clients when we present these magnificent works to them. Their excitement becomes ours, and we know at the end of the day, we've not only met, but we have surpassed their every expectation. Now that's truly the best of the best. 

To view M.S. Rau Antiques incredible selection of French furniture, click here.