Joseph-Émmanuel Zwiener, fl. circa 1875-1900 A gilt bronze mounted kingwood and end-cut floral marquetry bureau plat Paris, circa 1890

inset with a gilt-tooled leather writing surface, one espagnolette removed to reveal the ZN mark from the bronze master model.

Very good to fine condition and presentation overall, a few minor scuffs to replaced leather. Drawers slide freely, minor oxidation and dirt to mounts consistent with age and atmospheric conditions over the years, pleasing surface, marquetry very good with no patches or losses.
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Born in Herdon, Germany in 1849, Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener 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). Zwiener almost certainly employed Linke, who was six years younger and a fellow German-speaker. Both cabinetmakers used mounts by the gifted sculptor, Léon Messagé, whose studio on the rue Sedaine was in close proximity to the Zwiener workshops and Linke's at 170, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. It is likely that Zwiener introduced Linke to Messagé's work.