What Is the Definition of a Bombay Chest?
Bombe chests, or bombay chests, stood in every fashionable Parisian home in the mid-1700s. These French chests of drawers have a distinctive curvy or bowed shape and are often embellished with handpainted designs, such as flowers, birds or Asian motifs. The bombe chest is used today in entryways, bedrooms and other parts of the house. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Name
-
Bombe is a French term for any rounded or convex piece of furniture. The word bombe means, literally, ''bomb-shaped,'' ''bulging'' or ''curving outward.'' This styling is used in bureaus and commodes. The term bombe is sometimes spelled bombay when describing a chest of drawers, but it does not refer to Bombay, India, the city now called Mumbai.
Origin
-
Bombe chests originated during the French Regency period, after King Louis XIV died in 1715. French cabinetmakers began to abandon the classical styling of furniture loved by Louis XIV and created new, more casual pieces. Many of these pieces had round or bowed shapes. Five-year-old Louis XV had been crowned king of France, and was waiting to assume the throne while Phillipe d'Orleans ruled in his stead.
-
Signature Piece
-
The French Regency's signature piece of furniture was the bombe chest, also called a bombe commode. It curved outward on either side in a decidedly feminine manner and had two or three large drawers. It was often lacquered with chinnoiserie, or Chinese-inspired designs, such as flowers, exotic birds, dragons and tigers never before seen on furniture.
Louis XV
-
By the time young Louis began ruling France in 1743, the bombe chest was already in vogue. The bombe was a favorite furniture piece of King Louis and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour. The pieces displayed in French homes during this time featured the laborious lacquer technique in deep reds, blacks and golds.
Modern Styles
-
Bombe chests continue to be manufactured and displayed in homes around the world. Today's versions, however, come in a wider variety of styles. Traditional bombe chests usually have Queen Anne-style feet, ornamental hardware and hand-painted designs. Modern and contemporary interpretations of the bombe chest are in solid black, red, white or wood tones with a more streamlined shape. Asian-style bombe chests are usually lacquered and painted with colorful details.
-
References
- Photo Credit drawer handles image by jovica antoski from Fotolia.com
