The Diana and Minerva commode is one of the most celebrated pieces of Chippendale furniture anywhere in the world.

It was made by Thomas Chippendale for the State Dressing Room (now the Spanish Library) and delivered to Harewood in 1773 at a cost of £86.

‘Commode’ is a French term used to describe an elaborate set of drawers. This piece is a ‘dressing commode’, with a top drawer containing a mirror and items used in the morning ‘toilette’ – the ritual of dressing oneself.

The piece takes its name from the two Roman goddesses represented in dark roundels either side of the central section. The first is Diana, goddess of the hunt, seen with her emblem of the crescent moon, bow and whippet. The second is Minerva, goddess of learning and the arts, as well as war and justice. She is depicted with her helmet, spear and shield, as well as an owl.

The commode is decorated using marquetry – the woodworking technique of applying pieces of veneer (thin slices of wood) to form decorative patterns and pictures. Its inlaid patterns would originally have been brightly coloured using natural dyes, much of which has now faded due to exposure to light.

Many of the woods used to decorate this piece of furniture (such as satinwood, tulipwood and ebony) originated from various parts of the British Empire. These materials were often logged by enslaved people and were expensive to import. Their use in furniture was a status symbol, reflecting the enormous wealth and global outlook of the Lascelles family.