A Napoléon III gilt-bronze and marble guéridon, by Zwiener Jansen Sucesseur, Paris, circa 1900

Christie's, London, 23 February 2006, lot 183.

The present table is typical of Emmanuel Zwiener's production and portrays the homogenous blending of the Louis XV and Art Nouveau styles, much in line with the Parisian luxurious tastes of the late 19^th century. It is a well-known model recorded by the celebrated decorators Maison Jansen, founded by Jean-Henri Jansen (1854-1928) in 1880. Around 1990, Maison Jansen acquired around 1900 the archives and the rights from the Parisian workshop Zwiener, thus renaming it 'Zwiener Jansen Successor'. This is why these gueridon tables are often stamped 'ZJ'.

Related examples by Zwiener Jansen Sucesseur are recorded, for example one sold at Christie’s, London, 23 May 2019, lot 621 (£18,750) and another sold at Christie’s New York, 16 October 2018, lot 36 ($22,250).

Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener (1848-1895)

Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener is recorded as having working Paris between 1880 and 1895. He was born in Herdon, Germany in 1849 and moved to Paris, where he established his workshop at 12 rue de la Roquette. (D. Ledoux-Lebard, Les Ebénistes du XIX siècle, 1984 pp.645-647)

The quality of craftsmanship from the Zwiener ateliers is well recognized from the few documented pieces on record, all of which are executed in the Louis XV style. He was awarded a gold medal at the Paris exhibition of 1889 when the jury reported “dès ses débuts à une exposition universelle, il s’est mis au premier rang par la richesse, la hardiesse et le fini de ses meubles incrustés de bronze et fort habilement marquetés.”

Maison Jansen (1880-1989)

The celebrated firm of Maison Jansen operated in Paris from 1880-1989, supplying exceptional furniture to an international clientele which included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Jacqueline Kennedy.  The most influential firm in the 20th century, Jansen produced works of contemporary design but also closely followed the Parisian trends of the day, incorporating both an 18th century revival aesthetic and 19th century imperialistic designs to their decorative vocabulary.