françois linke An important and unique Louis XVI sytle gilt-bronze mounted mahogany fleur de pêcher marble top Commode Paris, circa 1899-1903, index number 776, after Guillaume Benneman

three frieze drawers, the central cupboard door opening to three drawers, one mount has been removed to reveal the FL mark from the bronze master model, one lock has been removed to reveal the Ct. LINKE / SERRURERIE / PARIS mark, engraved brass plaque inscribed F. LINKE / PARIS fronting the marble top.  One original key. 

Payne, C., Francois Linke 1855-1946 The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors Club, Woodbridge, 2003, p. 482 (sketch from Blue Daybook), and p.200, pl. 215 for a photographs of the eighteenth century commode in the Louvres

In very good condition and presentation. The marble top with the usual scratches to top and minor chips to edges in places. There is a fresh chip to the front right corner of the left hand canted molded edge. The gilt-bronze tarnished, most probably cleaned at some stage but still hold the original gilding color. Very minor nicks to veneers.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Linke Title for the present commode: Commode à Oiseau

There is only one entry for the construction of this commode, number 776 in Linke's index and it may therefore be supposed that the present lot was the only one of this model made by the Linke workshops making it a piece unique within his oeuvre. In the first few years of the twentieth century, the Linke workshops were equipped to make both high quality exact copies of French royal furniture, such as the present lot, as well as the modernised Louis XV style combined with contemporary art nouveau. The modern style was the dominant theme in Linke's gold medal winning stand at the 1900 Paris World Fair but he also exhibited two replicas of French eighteenth century furniture. Clearly such furniture was still in demand in the first few years of the new century.

The original model is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris (inv. OA 5507) to where it had been transferred in 1870 from the Mobilier national. Originally made in 1786 by Joseph Stockel for the Comte de Provence, it and its companion pieces were altered by Guillaume Benneman intended for Louis XVI's bedchamber at Compiegne. Much admired by Napoleon Bonaparte, it was in his salon in 1807 and later in his bedchamber. Intriguingly, Linke had clearly been to the Louvre to inspect the original model; he noted in his price list 'Je trouve sale des dessins au Musee du Louvre.de Beneman? pas de signature' (sic).

Linke numbered his copies of the three great Royal commodes consecutively as 775, 776 & 777, calling them respectively 'Commode a Armes, 'Commode a oiseau' and 'Commode Etageur (sic) fleurs de lys'. There are no dates in the Blue book for 776 and 777 but the Commode a Armes shows that the gilder Maury charged 230 for each of two versions of number 775 on the 8^th November 1901. The previous item, number 774 a kidney table is annotated Aout 1903 and a music cabinet number 778 is notes as November 1899. This seemingly erratic dating shows that many pieces were under construction at any one time and not necessarily worked on from start to finish but started, put aside and finished as demand on the skilled workforce ebbed and flowed. The last date in the same Blue book is for index number 1038 in November 1901 so it would seem reasonable to date the present lot between 1899 and 1903. As the present lot, nor the two other commodes in the Louis XVI style, were never destined for Linke's stand at the 1900 exposition universelle, it would be quite likely that their production was delayed whilst the workforce concentrated on the items for the 1900 fair and the immediate success as a result of increased orders due to Linke's profile at the fair.

The probable date of construction may seem at odds with the packing date of March 1910 in the green registre but such a delay was quite common in Linke's workshops. For example, we know that he took between 1912 and 1925 to complete one order for Antonio and Elina Devoto (Payne, Linke p. 260) but there are many other less extreme examples. However the most likely interpretation is that Linke made the model speculatively as a stock item with the other two royal models and only sold it in 1910.

There is nothing in the green registre except for the clearly transcribed pencil cost price of 3,827 francs and notes on the packing for Buenos Aires on 14^th March 1910. The weight of the commode noted at 233 kilos and the marble 210 kilos and 'embalage' of 140 francs 20 centimes. The note in the registre that the present lot commode was destined for Buenos Aires is intriguing. It has not been possible from the extensive archive material to ascertain exactly which client it was ordered for, however we know from the carbon copy of the invoice to the Companie Nationale des Meubles of 531 Calle Corrientes in Buenos Aires, that they were charged 8,000 francs for this model on 6^th December 1913. The Companie Nationale had placed large orders in 1909; there are twelve invoices in Linke's book to them between 28^th January 1908 and 18^th January 1909 but we do not know for if this commode was ordered for stock or for a particular client.

In Linke's 'Blue book' this commode is recognisable from a sketchy pencil drawing and under the title 'Commode oiseau', Linke's working title taken from the billing doves on the central guilt-bronze mount. The present lot was clearly the most expensive to make, for example it took Harvalit 848 hours to make the carcass alone whereas the  'fleurs de lys' commode took 'only' 466 hours. The total cost was 3,827 francs, over 1,000 francs more than the average cost of the other two large Royal commodes, index numbers 775 & 777.

The high costs at a time when Linke's workshops were constantly starched with orders by his growing international clientele, may be a major contributing factor in his only making the one example. In the 1905-1919 price list the retail price was 8,500 francs, 2,000 francs more than 777 for example.

Footnote courtesy of Christopher Payne