Antique Bombay Chests
16th Century American Baroque Antique Bombay Chests
Pine
1780s Antique Bombay Chests
Hardwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Silver
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Brass
Mid-18th Century French French Provincial Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
19th Century Dutch Antique Bombay Chests
Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
1870s Italian Neoclassical Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Regency Antique Bombay Chests
Olive
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
1770s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Bombay Chests
Paint, Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Antique Bombay Chests
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
Late 19th Century Maltese Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Late 19th Century Italian Louis XIV Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
1880s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Brass
Early 18th Century Austrian Baroque Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Bombay Chests
Silver
1880s British Indian Ocean Territory Campaign Antique Bombay Chests
Leather, Fruitwood
People Also Browsed
Late 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut, Pine
19th Century Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Pine
1940s French Louis XVI Antique Bombay Chests
Crystal, Brass
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
1890s Japanese Antique Bombay Chests
Iron
Early 20th Century Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Early 19th Century Romanian Folk Art Antique Bombay Chests
Iron
1960s American Campaign Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Early 19th Century American Sheraton Antique Bombay Chests
Maple
Early 20th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
1950s Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Bombay Chests
Cedar
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Ormolu
18th Century European Renaissance Antique Bombay Chests
Oak
20th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
Recent Sales
19th Century Dutch Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
1840s French Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Wood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century British Anglo Raj Antique Bombay Chests
Iron
18th Century and Earlier Antique Bombay Chests
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
1890s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Bronze
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Bombay Chests
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Spanish Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Ormolu
1880s Swedish Country Antique Bombay Chests
Pine
19th Century Swedish Rococo Revival Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century Danish Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Mahogany
Late 18th Century Dutch Georgian Antique Bombay Chests
Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Ormolu
1870s Islamic Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
1870s Tanzanian Tribal Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
18th Century Dutch Baroque Antique Bombay Chests
Oak
Late 19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
Late 18th Century Dutch Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Oak
19th Century English Antique Bombay Chests
Wood
1880s Italian Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Early 19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
1770s French Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
1890s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
1830s Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s Italian Baroque Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Early 20th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Late 19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Oak
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Bombay Chests
Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Revival Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Early 20th Century Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Wood, Paint
19th Century Antique Bombay Chests
Early 19th Century French Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century Danish Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Gold
18th Century and Earlier Italian Rococo Antique Bombay Chests
Early 1900s English Campaign Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Baroque Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
18th Century and Earlier Portuguese Antique Bombay Chests
18th Century and Earlier Antique Bombay Chests
19th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Antique Bombay Chests
Brass
1890s French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
1780s Italian Antique Bombay Chests
Marble
19th Century Swedish Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
18th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Early 1900s French Antique Bombay Chests
Marble, Bronze
18th Century and Earlier French Louis XV Antique Bombay Chests
Walnut
Antique Bombay Chests For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Bombay Chests?
Finding the Right commodes-chests-of-drawers for You
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
- What is a Bombay chest?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021A Bombay chest is a piece of wooden furniture — a chest that bulges outward in the front and on the sides and then curves in at the base. This style of chest was popularized in 17th century French design.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Bombay chests originated in France during the 18th century. Their name is actually a misspelling of the real name for the furniture, the bombe chest. Bombé is the French word for curved, and describes the wavy lines of the chests. You'll find a selection of Bombay chests on 1stDibs.
- Why is it called a Bombay chest?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The chest of drawers with a curvy frame is called a Bombay chest due to a misunderstanding about its name. Its proper name is "bombe" which is correctly pronounced similarly to the word "bomb." However, some people say "bom-BAY." This has led to confusion over how the name of the chest is actually spelled. Find a selection of bombe chests on 1stDibs.
- What are Bombay chests used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Bombay chests are also called bombe chests and are a chest of drawers that feature a distinctive curved or bowed shape. The term bombe is French for a curved piece of furniture, meaning bomb-shaped. This shape of chest originated in the early 1700s in an attempt to soften the lines of furniture and create a more comfortable and casual look. Shop a collection of Bombay chests from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
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