Joseph-Émmanuel Zwiener fl. circa 1875-1900 An important and monumental gilt-bronze mounted kingwood and bois de bout floral marquetry régulateur de parquet Paris, circa 1889, most probably unique

the left hand side putto has been removed to reveal the ZN stamp from the bronze master model, further letter Z visible to other gilt-bronze elements, the twin-train movement stamped Etienne Maxant/Breveté/4 Rue Saintonge. PARIS and numbered 16998.

In good and fair condition; with an impressive presentation; the veneers have retained their warm color and the variegated fruitwood marquetry is finely rendered; there are two long vertical restored cracks visible to the marquetry panel to the central niche of the lower section; the bronze mounts showing dirt and tarnishing in places and crevices; the bronze mounts cleaned at some point and retaining original gilding (not regilded); the foliate chute to back left corner with slightly less yellow color than rest of bronze mounts possible as a result of different process of cleaning - please note that this is not a later element; the white and dark blue enamel dial in good original condition, but with some very minute chips now showing copper backplate and two restored chips now showing overpainting; original blued steel hands; when opening to the large bombe central door to upper section there is a loss to veneer beneath lock plate approximately 1 inch by 1/2 inch; the movement has its bell and original pendulum; the two weights are later replacements; the female figure surmounting the clock allegorical of abundance and prosperity lacking sceptre to proper right hand; the key to central door is present in the parts back; the winding key to the movement is also present; small bronze part to tip of fruiting foliate beneath the figure surmounting the clock detached but present in the parts bag; visible restoration to left side looped gilt-bronze banding to the radiating mounts decorating the lower part of the central glazed door; possible loss to the lower central section of the radiating mounts with possible recast elements around this loss; the clock is composed of three parts; lower section from bottom to horizontal moulded bronze banding, glazed bombé case and figural clock finial; three removable beige fabric panels have been nailed to the back of the clock for better presentation, should the clock be exhibited in the middle of a room.
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.

The present régulateur de parquet is a tour de force of design combined with the highest standards of cabinetry and bronze casting and chasing emblematic of the greatest Parisian furniture makers of the late 19^th century. The design of this piece is almost identical to the celebrated Serre-Bijoux designed by Zwiener and Messagé and exhibited in the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, for which Zwiener won the gold medal.  The present régulateur was most probably the companion piece to the Serre-Bijoux as it shares its overall form as well as distinctive decorative elements: a cloud-borne classically-draped seated female figure emblematic of Abundance and Elegance surmounts the case; the curved and reeded gilt-bronze shoulder-chutes render a slight softness and fluidity to each corner of the glazed case; the putti each seated before a leafy oak branch represent an allegory of architecture and industry, respectively; the dolphin emerging from a shell and flanked by seaweed anchors the niche to the base. (Cf. the Serre-Bijoux of the 1889 exhibtion sold at Christie's New York, November 2, 1989, lot 265)  The art critic Henry Harvard praised the craftsmanship and design of the mounts of the serre-bijoux, which are identical to that of the régulateur, in his article in the Gazette des Beaux Arts which appeared the same year as the exhibition: "...Enfin les bronzes modelés par un artiste de mérite, M. Messager [sic], sont d' une facture tout à fait superieure. Ils se composent de figures en ronde bosse, représentant de petits génies, de masques, d'attributs, de palmes, de rinceaux et de fleurs, le tout ciselé avec une grande franchise et une souplesse vraiment remarquable." (...finally, the bronze mounts are shaped by a gifted artist, M. Messager [sic], and are of the highest quality. The figures are moulded in high relief representing putti, masks, allegories, scrolls and flowers, all chased with a firm hand as well as a remarkable fluidity).

Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener was born in 1849 in Germany and worked in Paris between 1880 and 1895. He established his workshop at 12, rue de la Roquette, becoming one of the premiere haut luxe cabinetmakers of the late 19th century. The exceptional quality of Zwiener's craftsmanship and extensive usage of fine gilt-bronze invites comparisons to the work of famed ébéniste, François Linke (1855-1946). Working in several styles fashionable in Paris at the time, Zwiener copied mainly Louis XV pieces from public collections, adapting them in his own exuberant interpretation of the Rococo. At the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, he received the gold medal and a note of high praise from the jurists: 'dès ses débuts d'une Exposition universelle, [il] s'est mis au premier rang par la richesse, la hardiesse et le fini de ses meubles incrustés de bronzes et fort habilement marquetés.' In 1895, Zwiener was summoned to Berlin at the request of German Emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) at Schloss Neues Palais, Sans Souci, Potsdam. Zwiener was recorded as an exhibitor for the German Pavillion at the 1900 Exposition Universelle.

Léon Messagé was a gifted Parisian sculptor and was responsible for much of the design and creative work for Roux et Brunet of Paris, of whom one brother, Alexandre Roux had established a highly successful business in New York as early as 1836. Subsequently Messagé designed for Zwiener in the 1880s and from circa 1895, for François Linke. It might be argued that without Messagé's creativity, Linke would have remained a fine cabinet maker selling to local clients and dealers and may never have reached out so successfully to the world stage. His Croquis & Dessins, Style Louis XV, Bronzes, Orfêvrerie, Décoration, Meubles was first published by the sculptor himself, from his Paris address of 40, rue Sedaine (undated). There were five sections with an elaborate title page surmounted by the sculptor's cipher or talisman of a wing, a play on his own name as the messenger to the Gods, a feature he incorporated many times on the mounts he designed for his patron. The interesting and conclusive connection between the three masters, Léon Messagé, Joseph-Emanuel Zwiener and François Linke can be seen in a black and white photograph of Messagé's workplace, illustrated C. Payne, François Linke, 1855-1946 - The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Woodbridge, 2003, p. 74, pl. 72, showing the impressive model of the large Linke régulateur, index number 551, together with a photograph of Zwiener's cabinet  that won the gold medal in 1889 (op. cit)