JOSEPH-EMMANUEL ZWIENER (1848 - 1895)A PAIR OF FRENCH GILT-BRONZE MOUNTED KINGWOOD, TULIPWOOD AND FLORAL MARQUETRY GAINES, PARIS, CIRCA 1885 |

stamped 'E. Zwiener' below the marble

A Private Collection, vol. 1, Sotheby's, New York, 26 October 2006, lot 142 (sold 90 000$)

D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Français du XIXe siècle, pp. 645-648 C. Payne, 19th Century European Furniture, p. 42

The image is accurate. Very good condition overall, despite some scratches all throughout the veneer surface, consistent with age and use. Both marble tops were broken and restored (one tiny piece is missing on one corner). Ready to display.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener (b. 1849) 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 nineteenth 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). Working in several styles fashionable in Paris at the time, Zwiener copied mainly Louis XV pieces from public collections, adapting them in his own exuberant interpretation of rococo. At the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, he received the gold medal and a note of high praise from the jurists: ‘dès ses débuts d'une Exposition universelle, [il] s'est mis au premier rang par la richesse, la hardiesse et le fini de ses meubles incrustés de bronzes et fort habilement marquetés.’ In 1895, Zwiener was summoned to Berlin at the request of German Emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) at Schloss Neues Palais, Sans Souci, Potsdam. Zwiener was recorded as an exhibitor for the German Pavillion at the 1900 Exposition Universelle.