Ortmann chest of drawers

Rarely-available collector’s item

When we open our doors for this summer’s international auction in June, one of the items we will be presenting is a Danish Rococo chest of drawers of gilded walnut with white marble slab. It was produced in the mid-18th century by renowned Danish cabinetmaker Mathias Ortmann.

An enterprising cabinetmaker

The name “Mathias Ortmann” is synonymous with furniture of outstanding quality and represents the very finest of northern European Rococo style. However, what particularly sets Ortmann apart from the superb cabinetmakers of his time is his habit of signing his furniture. Ortmann’s name thus became immortalised for posterity, and ever since, his works have been sought-after but rarely-available collector’s items.
Mathias Ortmann (c. 1700–1757) was born in Sweden, the son of a cabinetmaker. At some point, the family moved to Copenhagen to open a workshop in Nyhavn, and the young Mathias Ortmann soon became an apprentice in his father’s fast-expanding workshop, where pieces were made for Frederik IV’s brother Prince Carl, and his palace, “Charlottenborg”, for example. After his father’s death in 1723, his mother continued to operate the workshop. Two years later, Ortmann was fully qualified, and in 1727 he acquired a trade licence as a cabinetmaker.

Heading for France

While on a study trip in Europe, mainly to Louis XV’s France, Ortmann recognised the benefit of signing his furniture. Ever since, the label has served as the collector’s guarantee of a genuine Ortmann. However, not all Ortmann furniture bears the coveted signature. Ortmann only used it in the period 1745–1757, and some of his production dates from before that time. There are also a number of pieces without signatures from that period which can definitely be attributed to Ortmann on the basis of their special style, and this is the case with the chest of drawers up for auction here.

Ortmann’s hallmarks

The hallmark of Ortmann’s style when it comes to chests of drawers is inspiration from his trip to France, yet the style is not simply French. The items have local characteristics only known from Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark. Whereas French furniture is often made of exotic woods, Ortmann mainly uses walnut imported from Italy.
Another characteristic feature is that the corner embellishments are of gilded lead. Whereas the most commonly used material used by cabinetmakers for corner embellishments is carved giltwood, or, after the French manner, gilded bronze mountings, Ortmann makes do with simply carving his plinths and using cast, pre-gilded brass mountings for key plates and handles.

Ortmann’s early chests of drawers have straight sides, but Ortmann later developed his bombé-shaped model with gilded, carved plinth and legs. Typical Ortmann style also incorporates gilded drawer edges and a gilded plaster frieze with delicate carvings beneath the gilded upper edge. This golden band is placed directly beneath the marble slab covering the label. This frieze is not found on French chests of drawers, but is of northern European origin.

The chest of drawers in the auction

The chest of drawers up for auction is not signed, but it does have Ortmann’s characteristic bombé-shaped appearance, carved plinth, cast gilded brass mountings, and it is made from his preferred material – walnut. So we can state with certainty that Mathias Ortmann is the cabinetmaker behind this chest of drawers.

Consignment to auction

This summer’s international auction takes place at the beginning of June, and we are currently on the look-out for more consignments of antiques, bronzes, carpets and clocks for the auction. We are standing by to provide free, no-obligation valuations on weekdays and Saturdays at our department at Sundkrogsgade 30 in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn, and at Søren Frichs Vej 34 D, Aarhus. See opening times

Please note: We are accepting consignments until Tuesday 9 April.

We look forward to seeing you!