Royal & Noble Including Jewels from an Important Noble Collection

A French gilt-bronze-mounted kingwood commode, circa 1890, by François Linke, Paris, Index no. 245

UK: Greenford Park WarehouseRestricted Species

Lot Closed

January 17, 04:01 PM GMT

Estimate

4,000 - 6,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

of bombé form, with a brèche violette top, the three drawers sans traverse decorated with floral marquetry, with foliate gilt-bronze handles, chutes and sabots, signed F. Linke

93.5cm high, 120cm wide, 56.5cm

This lot will be on view in our New Bond Street galleries on 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 15^th, 16^th and 17^th January 2024.

This lot contains endangered species. Sotheby's recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. For example, US regulations restrict or prohibit the import of certain items to protect wildlife conservation. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of this lot to the US. A buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation.

RELATED LITERATURE

Christopher Payne, François Linke: The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Woodbridge, 2003, p. 68-69, pl. 63 and 65.

This is an early example of the collaboration between François Linke and Léon Messagé, inspired by a smaller commode of similar spirit as shown in Messagé’s personal sketchbook (illus. C. Payne, Linke, pl. 85).

Two versions were available, the ‘riche’ version at 129 francs and the ‘simple’ at 110. The second pair of carcasses were made by Knutzen at 370 hours, to which Linke has added in heavy dark pencil ‘trop.' Linke’s brother Wenzel had made the first pair in ‘only’ 337 hours, Linke clearly expecting his employees to keep up with his own family’s exacting standards. It is not quite clear as to the difference between the ‘simple’ and ‘rich’ example of this model however what the present lot seems to be the ‘simple’ version as per comparable commode illustrated in C. Payne, Linke, pl. 65, mounted with foliate-cast chutes instead of espagnolettes and with bullrushes marquetry. The elaborate version cost 5 francs more to construct, 10 more to chase and 17 francs more for the mounting of the bronzes, suggesting that the rich version had more bronze mounts of a slightly higher quality.

Three commodes of the model of the present lot were sold Sotheby’s New York 26 October 2006, lot 121 ($66,000), lot 122 ($72,000) and lot 212 ($72,000). A further version was made with Coromandel lacquer, an example sold Sotheby’s New York, 21st October 2009, lot 148 ($92,500). A commode of the present model but with espagnolettes mounts was sold Sotheby’s New York, 30 October 2003, lot 219 ($63,000) and another at Christie’s New York, 26 October 2004, lot 316 ($47,800).