As Sheraton put it - “commodes were never intended for use but for ornament”. Whilst having a chair with a hinged seat under which a chamber pot resides was at times most “Commodus”, the commode served a decorative purpose in the grandest of 18th century rooms. Tracing their French origin in the 17th century to the late 18h century in England they provide an insight into the lifestyles of this period.