The mid-19th-century French commode, or toilet as it is often called,, is a large, impressive chest that narrows towards the bottom and stands on 4 rolled and profiled legs, and, its brass-hinged lid opens and closes on the top. Veneered with mahogany and decorated with inlaid strips of lighter wood spotted with darker knots, it looks very elegant. This chair for 'going outside in the room' was extremely useful in times when plumbing was not common. It stands hidden behind a screen in the most intimate part of the house, the bedroom.