attributed to françois linke A GILT-BRONZE MOUNTED KINGWOOD, BURR AMBONYA AND VERNIS MARTIN MEUBLE À DEUX CORPS PARIS, CIRCA 1890

the cupboard opening to a gold velvet lined interior with one shelf, above a writing slide with gilt-tooled gold velvet writing surface and three frieze drawers, the vernis martin signed lower right Baston. 

The attribution to François Linke for the present lot is based on a cabinet sold in these rooms, October 26, 2006,A private collection, Vol, lot 193 also attributed to Linke and bearing the same female caryatid corner chutes and sabots. Interestingly, the rams head chutes are in keeping with a design by Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener that the master used on a dressing table (coiffeuse) which was part of a bedroom suite sold in these rooms, October 26, 2006,A private collection, Vol I, lot 138. François Linke worked with Zwiener as an apprentice in Paris and the use of kingwood lined oak drawers in the present lot is indicative of both cabinetmaker's styles.