François Linke 1855 - 1946 A gilt-bronze mounted kingwood and satiné trellis parquetry bureau plat Paris, early 20th century, index number 481

fitted with three frieze drawers, the center drawer opening with a spring release mechanism, both locks of the side drawers with the index number 481 and the CT. LINKE stamp

Payne, Christopher, François Linke 1855-1946 The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Antique Collector’s Club Ltd., Woodbridge, 2003.

Overall in good and fair condition with the usual minor scratches, dents and nicks to veneers and carcass consistent with age and use. Tarnishing, dirt and wear to gilt bronze in places. Some light staining to top of table. The department encourages interested parties to use our online e-catalogue's zoom function to enjoy magnified and alternate views of this lot.
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.
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François Linke was undoubtedly the most important Parisian ébéniste of his time. Having served an apprenticeship in his home town of Pankraz, Bohemia, Linke arrived in Paris in 1875 and set up independent workshops at 170, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1881 and later also at 26, Place Vendôme. By the time of the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, Linke's worldwide reputation as a master of high individualism and inventiveness was already 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 subsequent international fairs. Like the inventories of contemporaries such as Beurdeley and Dasson, Linke's oeuvre included copies and adaptations of the distinct styles of eighteenth century important and royal French furniture. However his most extravagant exhibition pieces combined the Louis XV style with the new Art Nouveau style. Linke's frequent collaborator for his designs was the celebrated sculptor Léon Messagé.  In 1904, he was made Officier de L’Iinstruction Publique, and in 1905 he was called to be a member of the Jury of the Liège exhibition.  Following his stands in the St- Louis (U.S.A.) exhibition in 1904 and the Liège exhibition in 1905, Linke was decorated with the highest distinction of France, the Croix de la Légion d’Honneur, on October 11, 1906.