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A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Centre Table By François Linke
A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Centre Table By François Linke
Dimensions: H: 30.5 in / 77 cm | W: 44 in / 112 cm | D: 27.5 in / 69.5 cm
PRICE: £75,000
A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Centre Table
By François Linke
Index No. 168
With mounts designed by Léon Messagé, this centre table has a striking cubed parquetry top of bois satiné within quarter-matched kingwood surround and foliate ormolu guard, the cabriole legs veneered in tulipwood with scrolled sabots and foliate ormolu chutes, the frieze housing a single serpentine-fronted drawer, with bois-de-bout floral marquetry and the cabinetmaker’s famous crab-like acanthus mount in the centre flanked by scrolling acanthus mounts, the sides with conforming marquetry inlay and centred by ribbon-tied ormolu laurels. One of the cutes signed ‘F. Linke’ in the bronze, and some mounts bearing the ‘FL’ mark on the reverse.
French, circa 1900
Index No 168
A rare example of an iconic design, Linke’s index number 168 was available for custom orders from the cabinetmaker both as a centre table and as a bijouterie with a glass top. Additionally, Linke offered the table either with ‘chutes à fleurs’ (floral corner mounts) as seen on the example with Butchoff, or with female espagnolettes, the ‘chutes à caryatides,’ as seen on the example supplied to the King of Egypt for his palace Ras al-Tin. Undoubtedly, tables with parquetry tops of cubed satiné wood came at a much higher price than the glass counterparts.
François Linke
François Linke (1855-1946) was a renowned French cabinetmaker, who gained significant prominence during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Pankraz, Bohemia, Linke moved to Paris in 1875, where he established independent workshops. By 1881, he had set up his primary workshop at 170 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and later expanded to 26 Place Vendôme, arguably the capital's most fashionable address.
Linke's craftsmanship and artistic innovations in furniture design earned him international acclaim, particularly highlighted at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. He became widely recognized for his ability to create high-quality, individualistic pieces that often blended traditional styles with contemporary influences. Specialising in the style of the ancien regime, Linke modified the proportions of the eighteenth century pieces to suit the smaller Parisian apartments.
Collaborating frequently with the sculptor Léon Messagé, Linke's work often featured a combination of the Louis XV style and the emerging Art Nouveau movement. His success at the 1900 exhibition provided him with financial stability, allowing him to participate in subsequent international fairs and expand his market.
In recognition of his contributions, Linke was appointed Officier de L'Instruction Publique in 1904 and served on the Jury of the Liège exhibition in 1905. Following his exhibitions in St. Louis (U.S.A.) in 1904 and Liège in 1905, Linke was awarded the Croix de la Légion d'Honneur, the highest French decoration, on October 11, 1906.
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