Thomas Moore
Head of Department
Lot 13TP
A French late 19th/early 20th century ormolu mounted kingwood and bois satine parquetry table a the by Francois Linke (1855-1946)
23 June 2021, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £19,000 inc. premium
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A French late 19th/early 20th century ormolu mounted kingwood and bois satine parquetry table a the by Francois Linke (1855-1946)
Each tier of circular outline with projecting eared angles, the detachable glass tray upper tier with a moulded edged border, the upper tier held aloft by four acanthus cast scroll-form figural supports each modelled as Nerites or a male sea nymph, above a geometric trellis inlaid top, over a shaped apron mounted with foliate embellished chutes centred by a waterfall surmounted by a scallop shell, on four keeled cabriole legs with floral and stylised foliate adorned scrolled mounts, terminating in leaf wrapped scroll sabots, the reverse of mount stamped: 'F.L.', 80cm wide x 72cm deep x 93cm high, (31in wide x 28in deep x 36 1/2in high)
Footnotes
The offered lot is essentially identical to one of two tables a the by Francois Linke, index number 1009, which is illustrated in C. Payne, Francois Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, 2003, Woodbridge, pl.'s 105 & 106, pp.'s 94-5. This comparable, along with the very similar model featuring in the same image, both incorporate the renowned 'crab-like' shell, waterfall and foliate mount originally designed by Roux and Leon Message. Of course this mount has become more widely recognised as a central element on some of the most important furniture produced by the Linke workshop.
Two related designs for tables of more rectilinear outline (one a watercolour and the other a pencil drawing), both index number 610, appear to have served as the basis for ones supplied by Linke to the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900. These illustrations are shown alongside each other in C. Payne, Francois Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, pl.'s 131 & 132, p. 117. Whilst one example based on index 610 appears in C. Payne, Ibid, pl. 152, p. 145 and another slightly more elaborate variant is illustrated in an old black and white image towards the end of the book, Ibid, p. 494.
Four conforming Linke tea tables to the present lot, all index number 1009, have understandably performed strongly at auction over the last decade: Christie's, New York, 18 April 2013, The Opulent Eye, lot 29; Christie's, New York, 16 April 2015, The Opulent Eye, lot 13; Christie's, New York, 13 April 2017, Opulence, lot 93; and Christie's, New York, 7 May 2020, The Collector, lot 102.
The French sculptor Léon Messagé (1842-1901) collaborated with the most established cabinet makers of his time. He notably worked for Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener in the 1880s and 1890s when he was celebrated for his ingenious designs before collaborating with Linke for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle which was evidently the most successful point in his career.
François Linke was born in Bohemia, but moved to Paris where he established his business circa 1880 at 170, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and from 1900 onwards he opened a showroom at 26, Place Vendôme. Linke made a huge impact at the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle at which he presented vigorous reinterpretations of the Rococo style. He was ultimately honoured with a Gold medal and his success acquired wealthy patrons from across the world. He was admired so much in France that he was even awarded the 'Croix de la Légion d'Honneur' in 1906.
Literature
C. Payne, François Linke (1855-1946), The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, 2003.
C. Mestdagh and P. Lécoules, L'Ameublement d'Art Français (1850-1900), 2010.