What is a bombe chest?

A bombe chest is a set of drawers that bulges outward in the front and on the sides. The style, whose name comes from French word bombé, meaning “curved,” originated in 17th-century France.

How much does a bombe chest cost?

A bombe chest cost depends on its size, age, designer, location, condition and other factors. If the piece is in relatively good condition, it may cost anywhere between $300 and $3,000.

Italian Bombe Chests

Italian Marquetry Commode

Bombe 19th Century

Louis Xv Bombe Commode

Olive Wood Bombe

Rococo Bombe

Bombe Cabinet

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Recent Sales

Italian Bombe chest

Unavailable

H 30 in W 38 in D 19 in

Italian Bombe chest

Located in Seattle, WA

Charming 2 drawer bombe chest with faux marbled top. Lovely dusty blue coloring with sepia marble top.

18th Century Italian Rococo Marquetry Bombé Chest of Drawers

Unavailable

H 35.13 in W 41.75 in D 21 in

18th Century Italian Rococo Marquetry Bombé Chest of Drawers

Located in San Francisco, CA

A rare 18th century Italian Louis XV arbalette bombé commode featuring harlequin palisander marquetry bordered by satinwood stringing and rosewood crossbanding, an unusual lifted ski...

Category

Antique 18th Century Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Carrara Marble

Italian Bombe Commode

Unavailable

H 32 in W 50 in D 26 in

Italian Bombe Commode

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

18th century Italian bombe commode

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Wood

CENTURY Cardella Collection Cherry Italian Provincial Bombe Bachelor Chest

Unavailable

H 32 in W 45 in D 20.5 in

CENTURY Cardella Collection Cherry Italian Provincial Bombe Bachelor Chest

By Century Furniture

Located in Charlotte, NC

An Italian Provincial style bachelor chest by Century Furniture, from their Cardella Collection.

Category

Late 20th Century American Other Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Italian Bombe Parquetry Commode

Unavailable

H 34.5 in W 48 in D 20 in

Italian Bombe Parquetry Commode

Located in Dallas, TX

A Rococo style three-drawer Italian bombe commode or chest of drawers with inlaid cross hatch design, sitting on cabriole legs.

Category

Vintage 1940s Italian Rococo Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Hand Painted Neoclassical Style Commode/Bombe Chest

Unavailable

Unavailable

H 35.5 in W 55.5 in D 23.25 in

Pair of Italian 18th Century Painted Bombe Commodes

Located in Bantam, CT

An exceptional pair of Italian rococo bombe cream painted and parcel gilt commodes retaining their original redecorated faux marble top and shaped cabriole feet. The front and sides ...

Italian Florentine Gilded Bombe Display Cabinet on Chest Glazed Vintrine

Unavailable

H 69.93 in W 27.45 in D 15.67 in

Italian Florentine Gilded Bombe Display Cabinet on Chest Glazed Vintrine

Located in Newcastle upon Tyne, GB

An outstanding Italian display cabinet on chest. Boasting superb gold gilded detailing and hand painted finish.

Category

20th Century Italian Other Furniture

Materials

Glass, Paint

Charming Bombe Jewelry Chest in Oyster Burl

Unavailable

H 20.325 in W 19 in D 9 in

Charming Bombe Jewelry Chest in Oyster Burl

Located in San Francisco, CA

Charming.

Brass

Italian 19th Century Painted Bombe Chest

Sold

H 31.5 in W 41.13 in D 17.25 in

Italian 19th Century Painted Bombe Chest

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

From the late 1800's,is a beautiful Italian painted Bombe 4-Drawer Chest of drawers with faux Marble Top.

Pair of Swedish Style Bombe Italian Chests Commodes

Sold

Sold

H 33 in W 44.5 in D 19 in

19th Century Venetian Bombe Chest

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Beautiful four-drawer bombe chest made with burled olive. Incredible condition!

Materials

Metal

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Category

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Category

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Materials

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Italian Bombe Chests For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of Italian bombe chests for sale on 1stDibs. Each of these unique Italian bombe chests was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and walnut. Italian bombe chests have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Italian bombe chests are generally popular furniture pieces, but Rococo, louis xv and Baroque styles are often sought at 1stDibs. Many Italian bombe chests are appealing in their simplicity, but Century Furniture, Roma Furniture Co. and B. Altman and Company produced popular Italian bombe chests that are worth a look.

How Much are Italian Bombe Chests?

Prices for Italian bombe chests can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, Italian bombe chests begin at $1 and can go as high as $501,500, while the average can fetch as much as $3,800.

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.

Questions About Italian Bombe Chests

What is a bombe chest?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMay 22, 2019
A bombe chest is a set of drawers that bulges outward in the front and on the sides. The style, whose name comes from French word bombé, meaning “curved,” originated in 17th-century France.
How much does a bombe chest cost?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMay 23, 2019
A bombe chest cost depends on its size, age, designer, location, condition and other factors. If the piece is in relatively good condition, it may cost anywhere between $300 and $3,000.

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