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An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 1
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 2
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 3
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 4
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 5
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 6
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 7
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 8
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 9
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 10
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 11
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 12
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 13
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 14
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 15
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 16
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 17
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 18
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 19
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 20
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 21
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 22
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 23
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 24
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 25
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 26
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Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 3
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 4
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 5
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 6
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 7
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 8
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 9
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 10
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 11
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 12
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 13
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 14
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 15
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 16
Thumbnail of An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliothequelate 19th century image 17
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Lot 1176
An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliotheque
late 19th century
Fine European Furniture and Decorative Arts
17 March 2014, 10:00 PDT
San Francisco

Sold for US$353,000 inc. premium

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An important François Linke Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry bibliotheque
late 19th century

The entrelac banded galleried pediment with outset corners centering a clock with lapis lazuli face and Latin chapter ring surmounted by two putti at play with a hound, flanked by Chinese style covered urns above a frieze with bound fascae banding over three berried laurel banded glazed doors mounted at each corner by draped Nemean lions, their tails sinuously entwined about the laurel vines. The center door with a blue and white bisque plaque depicting the Muses of Music and Literature within a ribbon tied laurel frame centering marquetry panels, one depicting a zodiac banded celestial globe the other a terrestrial globe and architect's tools; the flanking doors with marquetry panels representing Pacem in Terris, the left with laid down standards, a cuirass, laurel crown and sheathed sword, the right with naval attributes of an anchor, cannon and flags. The left case side inlaid with a ribbon tied royal martial trophy, above a trophy with two crowns, a mask of drama with open book inscribed with lines 451-455, Verse II of Homer's Iliad; a third trophy suspending oak leaves and scientific instruments and a fourth panel depicting a plentiful harvest of fruits and grains. The right case side with an obverse panel of the royal martial trophy, above a panel depicting two eagles on clouds among musical instruments; a third panel depicting in obverse the trophy of suspended oak leaves and scientific instruments, the lower panel depicting fruits de mer with coral branches suspending a string of pearls among shells and water reeds. The serpentine bombe apron mounted with gilt bronze palm fronds continuing to cabriole legs headed by berried laurel and shell chutes and terminating in volute scrolled sabots, opening to mahogany shelves.
height 100in (254cm); width 108in (274cm); depth 19in (48cm)

Footnotes

Provenance: Corinthian Studios, Saratoga, California

Illustrated; Christopher Payne 19th Century European Furniture, Suffolk, 1981, page 166, illustration 445.


This bibliotheque, after mounts and marquetry found on Louis XV's Bureau du Roi. According to Christopher Payne in his book, Francois Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Linke produced a number of models incorporating the mounts and marquetry panels of the Bureau including three Bureaux du Roi and three bureaux plats after Benneman, in addition to a commode (#720), a chair (#2165), a pedestal, two pianos and an enormous bibliotheque for a client in Pittsburgh (#2429), as well as the offered bibliotheque.

THE BUREAU DU ROI
One of the most important masterpieces of the 18th century is the Bureau du Roi by Jean-Francois Oeben, completed by Jean-Henri Riesener for Louis XV and delivered for the King's study at Versailles in 1769. After the Revolution Riesner removed the medallion with the king's portrait as well as the Sevres porcelain plaques with interlaced "L's". Those plaques were replaced with Sevres blue and white bisque plaques. The first 19th century copy of the Bureau was made for the Marquess of Hertford between 1853 and 1870 by either Dreschler or Drexler and is now in the Wallace Collection. Linke's version, first produced in the late 19th century, was clearly an attempt to recreate the original Riesener model, incorporating the marquetry panels, fascae, palm fronds, tied laurel enclosed medallions, cornucopiae, Chinese urns and clock, later incorporating these into the offered bibliotheque.

THE MARQUETRY
The panels on the bibliotheque are nearly identical to those found on the Bureau du Roi. The themes, trophies and medallions on the original Bureau are heavily influenced by Cesare Ripa (1555-1622) and his Iconologia published in 1593. The Iconologia is a treatise on symbolism in art and dictates symbols that should be used to depict various themes in literature and painting, even suggesting symbolic mottoes to incorporate on trophies, banners and paintings. This treatise was extremely influential and translated into many languages.

The lower panels on both case side of the bibliotheque, the fruits de mer and the peaceful harvest of plenty are found on the right side of the Bureau du Roi as marquetry issuing from the gilt bronze cornucopiae (see illustration). Both the celestial and terrestrial panels on the main door of the bibliotheque are found on the back of the Bureau du Roi. The two martial trophies on the case sides of the bibliotheque are those of the Royal martial trophy. The roundel panel on the right side of the bibliotheque, depicting the two eagles, is found on the right side of the Bureau du Roi cylinder lid, with the inclusion of two of Cesare Ripa mottoes: BREVI COMPLECTOR SINGULA CANTU (I embrace unique things in a short song) and PASTORUM CARMINA LUDO (I play song's of the shepherds).

The roundel on the right side of the bibliotheque depicts an open book with verse from the Iliad: O MUSES QUI REGNEZ DANS LE CELESTE EMPIRE, DITE CEQU'AUX MORTELS VOUS SEULES POUVEZ DIRE, CHASTE DIVINITES A QUI DANS L'UNIVERS, TOUS LES TEMS, TOUS LES LIEUX SONT A LA FOIS OUVERTS, LA SEULE RENOMME ET M'INSPIRE ET NOUS GUIDES... (O Muses who reign in the celestial empire, Tell to the mortals as only you can (speak), Chaste Divinities who are in the Universe, All the times, all the places are open at once, Fame alone inspires and guides me ... On the Bureau du Roi this panel was depicted with the addition of other Ripa mottoes: NON NISI GRANDO CANTO (I sing only of great things) and IRRIDENS CUPIDE FIGO (Riducule wounds as pricks).

Recently sold examples of Linke Bureau du Roi influenced furniture include: Sotheby's: New York, April 2007, lot 72; Paris, October 22, 2008, lot 159,

Literature:
Christopher Payne, Francois Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, Suffolk, England, 2003
Camille Mestdagh, L'Ameublement d'Art Francais 1850-1900, Paris, 2010
Christopher Payne, 19th Century French Furniture, Suffolk, England, 1981

Additional information