Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Table Vitrine by François Linke, circa 1900

About the Item

A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Table Vitrine by François Linke. French, circa 1900. Linke Index Number 131. The lockplate signed 'F.Linke', the mounts variously incised 'FL', the escutcheon stamped 'FL 2385'. The lock plate stamped to the reverse 'CT LINKE' '131'. This rare vitrine table with its distinctive shell mount to the frieze is a fine example of Linke's collaboration with the sculptor Léon Messagé, with whom he worked for his gold medal winning stand at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Linke first made this design in the late 1890's and the final example in 1919. A watercolour design for the vitrine re-envisioned as a jardiniere survives in the Linke archives and is illustrated in C. Payne, 'François Linke 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture', pl. 519. Literature: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, (1855 - 1946), The Belle Époque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2003; p.247, p.441, pl. 519. François Linke (1855 - 1946) was the most important Parisian cabinet maker of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and possibly the most sought after cabinet maker of his period. He was born in 1855 in the small village of Pankraz, in what is now the Czech Republic. Records show that Linke served an apprenticeship with the master cabinetmaker Neumann, then in 1875 at the age of 20 he arrived in Paris where he lived until he died in 1946. It is known that the fledgling Linke workshops were active in Paris in the Faubourg St. Antoine as early as 1881, and during this time he supplied furniture for other more established makers such as Jansen and Krieger. The quality of Linke's craftsmanship was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries and reached its peak with his spectacular stand at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, where his Grand Bureau took the gold medal. He gambled his fortune and reputation on this stand, exhibiting several breathtaking items of furniture with sculptural mounts of the most exceptional quality and proportion. His gamble worked and his reputation was established to such an extent that Linke continued to be the pre-eminent furniture house in Paris until the Second World War. As the Art Journal reported in 1900 on Linke's stand: 'The work of M. Linke ... was an example of what can be done by seeking inspiration amongst the classic examples of Louis XV and XVI without in any great sense copying these great works. M. Linke's work was original in the true sense of the word, and as such commended itself to the intelligent seeker after the really artistic things of the Exhibition. Wonderful talent was employed in producing the magnificent pieces of furniture displayed....' The formation of Linke's distinctive style was made possible by his collaboration with the sculptor Léon Messagé. Together Linke and Messagé designed furniture for Linke's 1900 exhibition stand, with exuberant allegorical figures cast in high relief, that exemplified Linke's ability to seamlessly merge the different mediums of wood carving, bronze and marquetry into a dynamic unified whole. Today Linke is best known for the exceptionally high quality of his work, as well as his individualism and inventiveness. All of his work has the finest, most lavish mounts, very often applied to comparatively simple carcasses. The technical brilliance of his work and the artistic change that it represented were never to be repeated. Bibliography: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, (1855 - 1946), The Belle Époque of French Furniture, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2003. Meyer, Jonathan. Great Exhibitions - London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, 1851-1900, Antique Collectors' Club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2006; pp. 298 - 300. Ledoux - Lebard, Denise. Les Ébénistes du XIXe siècle, Les Editions de l'Amateur, (Paris), 1984; pp. 439-43. Revue Artistique & Industrielle, (Paris), July-August 1900. Coral Thomsen, D. (ed), The Paris Exhibition 1900, The Art Journal, 1901; p.341.
  • Creator:
    François Linke (Cabinetmaker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 29.93 in (76 cm)Depth: 22.45 in (57 cm)
  • Style:
    Louis XV (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Bronze,Wood,Gilt
  • Place of Origin:
    France
  • Period:
    Late 19th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1900
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Brighton, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: B718831stDibs: LU1028014630131
More From This SellerView All
  • Louis XV Style Vitrine by François Linke, French, circa 1900
    By François Linke
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    A fine Louis XV style gilt bronze-mounted Vitrine with a Brèche d’Alep Marble Top By Franc¸ois Linke Signed to the reverse of the lock ‘CT LINKE/ PARIS’. Linke index number 208. Th...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Ormolu, Bronze

  • Louis XV Style Mahogany Vitrine by François Linke
    By François Linke
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    A fine Louis XV style gilt-bronze mounted mahogany bombé vitrine by François Linke. Signed to the corner clasp 'F. Linke'. This elegant...
    Category

    Antique Early 1900s French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • Louis XV Style Vitrine with Vernis Martin Panels by François Linke, circa 1900
    By François Linke
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    A Fine Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Bombé Vitrine With Vernis Martin Panels, by François Linke. French, Circa 1900. Signed 'F. Linke' to one bronze mount. The reverse ...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Table Vitrine by Georges-Francois Alix, circa 1890
    By Georges-François Alix
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    A fine gilt-bronze mounted mahogany table vitrine by Georges-Francois Alix. French, circa 1890. Stamped to the underside and to the reverse of th...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Tables

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Rare Gilt-Bronze Mounted Marquetry Pedestal Desk by François Linke, circa 1900
    By François Linke
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    A rare gilt bronze mounted marquetry pedestal desk by François Linke. French, circa 1900. Linke Index Number 711. Linke title ‘Bureau LXV à 8 pieds’. Stamped to the insi...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Pair of Louis XVI Style Mahogany Vitrines by François Linke, circa 1890
    By François Linke
    Located in Brighton, West Sussex
    An impressive pair of Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted mahogany vitrines by François Linke. French, circa 1890. Signed to the reverse of the bronze mounts ‘LINKE’. Each ...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Vitrines

    Materials

    Bronze

You May Also Like
  • Early 20th Century Gilt Bronze Mounted Parquetry Vitrine Table by François Linke
    By François Linke
    Located in New York, NY
    A lovely early 20th century Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted parquetry vitrine table by François Linke François Linke The oval shaped table with a beveled glass top encircled...
    Category

    Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Gueridon

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Louis XV Style Ormolu-Mounted Bijouterie Vitrine Table
    Located in Lambertville, NJ
    Opulent mahogany and gilt bronze-mounted lift top table vitrine. The Louis XV style form with bronze trim and foliate mounts on the knees, the silk tufted ...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s European Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • A large Louis XV style ormolu mounted marquetry table vitrine by Linke
    By François Linke
    Located in London, GB
    A large Louis XV style ormolu mounted marquetry table vitrine by Linke French, Late 19th Century Height 76cm, width 108cm, depth 67cm In the Louis XV...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Tables

    Materials

    Ormolu

  • 19th Century Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Mounted Vitrine Table by C. Mellier & Co.
    By Mellier & Co.
    Located in Norwood, NJ
    Fine quality 19th century gilt bronze mounted and glass vitrine table. Top and 4 sides of beveled glass with a red velvet lined interior. Burn mark on bottom for C. Mellier & Co. C. Mellier & Co The firm of C. Mellier & Co. was founded by Charles Mellier...
    Category

    Antique Late 19th Century English Louis XVI Vitrines

    Materials

    Bronze

  • 19th Century Louis XV Style Curio Display Table, Mahogany with Bronze Mounts
    Located in Vero Beach, FL
    19th century Louis XV style curio display table, mahogany with bronze mounts French Louis XV style elegant mahogany and bronze decorated display...
    Category

    Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Vitrines

    Materials

    Bronze

  • Gilt-Bronze Mounted Secretaire Attributed to François Linke Paris, circa 1890
    By François Linke
    Located in West Palm Beach, FL
    A gilt-bronze mounted secretaire attributed to François Linke Paris, circa 1890 the upper structure opening to a fitted desk with a writing surface, and three small drawers, the f...
    Category

    Antique 1890s Side Tables

    Materials

    Wood

Recently Viewed

View All