Chinoiserie Cabinet by Francois Linke, 19th Century
An important and unusual cabinet, decorated in the chinoiserie manner, French, signed Linke, 19th century, the everted pediment decorated with fine gilt bronze mounts above two doors, highly decorative with oriental inspired scenes, supported on four shaped feet, 49.61 in. wide, 17.32 in. deep, 72.83 in. high. Francois Linke was undoubtedly the most important Parisian ebeniste of his time. Having served an apprenticeship in his home town of Panfras, Bohemia, Linke arrived in Paris in 1875 and set up an independent workshops at 170, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1881 and later also at 26 Place Vendome. By 1900 the Paris Exposition Universelle was taking place. Linke's world wide reputation as a master of high individualism and inventiveness was already well established and unmatched by his contemporaries. His success at the 1900 exhibition afforded Linke a high degree of financial stability and allowed him to pursue new markets by exhibiting at other international fairs
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Register Now to view actual auction price for this item.
- Mounts - Mounts are used to describe bronze, brass and ormolu adornments on furniture especially quality furniture in the rococo and classical revival style, and are also the cabinet makers' name for the metal fittings on furniture, such as hinges, locks and handles, and metal edges and guards which protect furniture from damage.
- Everted - An everted rim is an outwardly turning or flaring outwards rim, as seen the rims on jugs, vases, bowls and dishes.
- Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.
The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.
Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important. - Pediment - The uppermost section of a tall usually double-heightened piece of cabinet furniture, surmounting the cornice. The pediment can take a variety of forms derived from the architecture of classical antiquity. A broken pediment is of triangular shape, however, the two raised sides do not meet at the apex but are 'broken' the gap between them often ornamented with an urn or finial. Swan-neck pediments are of similar form, although the uprights are gracefully arched, resembling a swan's neck. They are often found, for example, on longcase clocks.
- Chinoiserie - Furniture and decorative items decorated in imitation of a Western interpretation of the Chinese style. The Chinoiserie style first became popular in the late 17th century, though there were frequent revivals, notably by Chippendale (hence 'Chinese Chippendale') during the Regency period, and the Anglo-Japanese style in the second half of the 19th century.
The ubiquitous 'willow pattern' is the most common 'Chinese' theme used in porcelain, while on furniture the Chinoiserie style usually has black or red painted and lacquered decoration, though the hallmark of the furniture style is the use of fretwork in geometrical patterns, pagodas and other decorative forms.
Japonaiseries, as the name implies, are motifs in imitation of the Japanese taste.
See also "Chinese Chippendale". - Ebeniste - The French equivilent to the English "cabinet maker". Because of their preference for ebony, a new, rare and expensive wood in the 17th century, the French masters of the craft of veneering were known as ébénistes, although they later combined veneering with technical variations such as marquetry. The Paris Guild of Ebenistes was extemely influential, and its members almost as highly regarded as painters and sculptors.
- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture. - Signed or Stamped - A signed piece of furniture may mean that the maker has signed (and hopefully dated) the piece in the same way that we sign a cheque, but more likely, that it bears evidence of the name of the maker, wholesaler or retailer as a paper label, metal plaque, impressed into the timber or in later pieces after about 1880, stamped onto the timber with an ink stamp.
The 'signature' or stamp will always be in an unobtrusive position: under the top of a table, on the underside of the rails of a chair, inside a drawer or on the back.
The fact that a piece is 'signed' considerably enhances its value. Signed Australian furniture is extremely rare, and for imported furniture, it is a mark of quality of the item, as only the items by the top makers or retailers were 'signed'
This item has been included into following indexes:
