Kingwood Furniture

A fine vitrine in the manner of Francois Linke Constructed in kingwood, with gilt bronze mounts, in the Louis XVI Transitional style; rising from bronze foliate sabots, with gent...

A fine French 19th-20th century kingwood and tulipwood marquetry and gilt-bronze mounted vitrine - display case, in the manner of François Linke (1855-1946). The slender single door display cabinet with a red-velvet backing and bowed glass panels surmounted with acanthus and floral gilt-bronze mounts in the style of Léon Messagé (French, 1842-1901), the serpentine shaped front door with an ornate marquetry and ink colored panel depicting wreaths, ribbons and tied acantus leaves, all raised on four cabriolet legs ending with gilt-bronze paw-feet, Paris, circa 1900. Linke was born on 17 June 1855 in the small village of Pankraz, in what is now the Czech Republic. Records show that Linke served an apprenticeship with the master cabinet maker, Neumann, which he completed in 1877. Linke’s work book or Arbeits-Buch records that he was in Vienna from July 1872 to October 1873 at the time of the International Exhibition held there in 1873. He subsequently travelled to Prague, Budapest & Weimar before finally arriving in Paris in 1875. It is documented that he obtained employment with an unknown German cabinetmaker in Paris, and stylistic similarities, photographs and geographical proximity have led some to suggest that Emmanuel Zwiener was the most likely candidate. After a period back in his home town of Pankratz, he returned once and for all to Paris in 1877. In 1878 Paris hosted the third great International Exhibition, a remarkable success for a country ravaged by war only seven years earlier. It is known that the fledgling Linke workshops were active in the Faubourg St. Antoine as early as 1881, during this time he supplied furniture for other more established makers such as Jansen and Krieger. By 1889 another World’s Fair, as they were often referred to in America, took place in Paris. Monsieur Eiffel erected what has become the most iconic building in Paris for the exhibition and the atmosphere of wealth and confidence may well have encouraged Linke to think that he could contribute an important part to the next great exhibition. As early as 1892 this was decreed to take place at the end of the century, in an attempt to pre-empt Berlin from staging the last great show of the century. In 1892, Victor Champier (fr) one of the commissioners for the 1900 Paris Fair had appealed, “Create in the manner of the masters, do not copy what they have made”. It was an appeal against mere reproduction and Linke rose to this challenge in an unparalleled way with his unique display that was to include the Grand Bureau. Determined to outshine the competition at the Exhibition, Linke had set about creating the most ambitious pieces he could envisage, and more extravagant than had ever been displayed before. The items he exhibited marked a transition from the historicist interpretation of Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, an interpretation that was the mainstay of his nearest rivals, to something startlingly new and vital in its immediacy. [6] Together with Léon Messagé he developed a new style for the 1900 Exhibition that paid homage to the Louis XV rococo in the fluidity of its approach, but an approach fused with the lively flowing lines of the contemporary and progressive 'art nouveau'. 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". Linke's stand would have appeared refreshingly new to contemporary onlookers, the traditional designs of the eighteenth century melting seamlessly into an exuberant naturalism. The 'Revue' described Linke's style as 'entièrement nouveaux' and noted "This opinion is universally accepted. Linke's stand is the biggest show in the history of art furniture in the year 1900". It is perhaps the most extraordinary and remarkable aspect of Linke’s personal history that he produced such expensive and luxurious furniture of exquisite quality for the 1900 exhibition without any commission or any potential buyer in mind. [9] At a time when other more established furniture businesses such as those of Beurdeley and Dasson were closing down, he made a huge investment in his stand and the furniture he supplied for it. Linke recognised that to move his business forward he needed to appeal to a more International clientele and the new emerging rich who were at this time amassing fortunes on an unprecedented scale. For this reason he gambled everything he had on his display for the 1900 exhibition. Had this not succeeded he would almost certainly have succumbed to bankruptcy. Linke’s notebook records visitors to his stand from England, Europe, the Americas, Egypt and Japan and including; the King of Sweden, three visits from the King of Belgium, Prince Radziwill, the Prince d’Arenberg, the Comte Alberic du Chastel, Miss Anna May Gould, the American heiress, distinguished furniture makers and the President of France Emile Loubet. This risky endeavour was a resounding success, and with his reputation established, La Maison Linke became the pre-eminent furniture house until outset of the Second World War. The technical brilliance of his work and the artistic change that it represented was never to be repeated. His showrooms expanded into prestigious premises in Paris, in the Place Vendôme as well as the Faubourg St. Antoine where his workshop had been established. He embarked on many important commissions in the years up to the outbreak of the First World War, making and designing furniture for leading international industrialists and bankers. After the 1914-1918 World War, Linke undertook the extraordinary commission to furnish the Ras al-Tin Palace in Alexandria for King Fuad of Egypt, possibly the largest single furniture commission ever conceived, eclipsing even Versailles. Linke flourished and remained active until the middle years of the 1930s and died in 1946 Léon Messagé (1842-1901) was a French sculptor, best known for his sculptural collaboration with François Linke for the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Messagé was also responsible for much of the design and creative work for Roux et Brunet...

An exquisite quality French Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted tulipwood and kingwood bureau plat attributed to Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener Attributed to Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1848...

A fine quality late 19th century French style Kingwood, ormolu mounted secretaire side cabinet, having three marble shelves to either side, a central door with this beautiful hand p...

Excellent quality commode with three drawers having beautiful bronze pulls And a lovely bronze doré plaque inset into the top drawer depicting Angels and a country motif. The cente...

A Fine French 20th Century Gilt-Bronze Mounted and Marquetry Meuble d'Appui à Hauteur (Side cabinet). The rectangular variegated white marble top with outset corners over a gilt foli...

Rouge marble top commode/chest of drawers having three drawers. Intricate floral marquetry inlay in Satinwood and tulipwood. Bronze mounts on front corner and at center bottom. Sabo...

A very Fine French 19th century Louis XV style kingwood and ormolu-mounted marble top gueridon side table. The semi-circular single-drawer table fitted with a Rouge Royal marble top ...

An exquisite French antique chest showcasing a breakfront design, featuring its original Marquina Marble top elegantly positioned above three drawers. The superb craftsmanship of the...

An elegant pair of Italian 19th century Louis XVI st. kingwood, tulipwood and Sienna marble commodes. Each two drawer small scale chest/side table is raised by fine square tapered le...

A very fine Louis XVI style gilt-bronze mounted Marquetry Commode By Henry Dasson After a model by Jean-Henri Riesener, supplied to Marie-Antoinette for Versailles. Constructed i...

Fine 19th Century French Kingwood Regence Style Backgammon Games Table. Referred to as Tric-Trac. Kingwood and figured walnut marquetry inlay. Regence bronze mounts. Ebony with bone ...

A George III period figured mahogany bow-fronted tallboy of attractive small proportions, having moulded and kingwood crossbanded cornice above seven cock beaded drawers supported on...

A Louis XVI kingwood small chest with brass mounts. Opens to a metal lined interior and two velvet working lower drawers. Circa 1700, France.

An important and high quality French mid 18th century Régence Period Rosewood, Kingwood, Ormolu and Marble commode. This stunning bombee shaped four drawer chest showcases a wonderfu...

English mahogany and cross banded kings wood two drawer library table with satin wood string inlays, original brass pulls, turned bulbous ringed ebonized cross stretcher, and restin...

Rare and remarkable pair of mid century lions in repose hand carved, in a stylized modern form, from the Cammatillo tree or Kingwood grown in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil.

A Rare François Linke 'Suite de Chambre À Coucher', index number 1447 Paris, circa 1905-1906. Comprising of two beds, two bed side tables and a wardrobe. Having acajou and oeil de vermeil cube parquetry, the wardrobe with two shelves and an adjustable shelf-drawer, both bedside tables with fleur de pêcher marble tops and white marble lined interior, Signed F. Linke to the right-hand sides chutes. Dimensions of beds: Height: 63 1/2 in Width 61 in Length 6 ft. 10 1/2 in. (161.5 cm; 155 cm; 209.5 cm) Dimensions of Wardrobe: Height: 99 in Width: 57 1/2 in Depth: 19 1/2 in (251.4 cm; 146 cm; 49.55 cm) Side Tables: Height: 32 in Width: 16 in Depth 16 in (81.2 cm; 40.6 cm; 40.6 cm) Literature: C. Payne, François Linke, p. 445, pl. 526, showing a slight variant of the present pair of double beds in a watercolor interior project from the Linke Archives Notes: Linke title: Lit Louis XV...

A very fine French 19th-20th century louis XVI style kingwood parquetry and ormolu-mounted ladies writing table, the body surrounded by bronze moldings. The apron repeats the parquet...

A Very Fine French 19th Century Louis XV Style 'Belle Époque' Ormolu Mounted and Kingwood Parquetry Single-Door Bombé Vitrine Display Cabinet, by Alexandre Hugnet (French, active la...

French Louis XV style (19/20th Century) kingwood veneer and bronze trimmed commode with 2 drawers and inlaid with floral marquetry and marble top.

A very fine pair of French 19th century Louis XV style gilt-bronze mounted floral marquetry Bombé commodes with marble top. The serpentine two-drawer commodes, with rosewood, king-wo...

A superb quality antique French Victorian jardiniere stand in kingwood, richly mounted with ormolu and dating to the mid 19th century. This is a beautifully made and highly decorativ...

This exquisite French commode exemplifies the refinement and artistry of 19th-century Parisian cabinetmaking in the manner of renowned ébéniste Paul Sormani. With its elegant serpent...

A Louis XV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Bois Satiné and Kingwood Side Table, Circa 1900 with a brilliantly detailed veneer, showcasing three shades of wood in contrasting browns, cratin...

A gilt bronze mounted kingwood and tulipwood two drawer commode stamped Schlichtig of the late Louis XV period, (circa 1770). The commode also bears the JME stamp, (for jurande des menuisiers-ébénistes), which was added once a committee made up of elected furniture...

An Exquisite and Fantastic Quality Pair of Mid 19th Century Gilt Bronze Mounted Louis XVI Style Kingwood and Fruitwood Marquetry and Parquetry Cabinets – Béfort Jeune Mathieu Béfort...

An impressive and very good quality early 19th Century English serpentine chest of drawers. This beautiful piece has quality veneers on an oval inlay decoration to its shaped top. W...

A very good quality French Louis XVI style bureau plat, having an inset leather top, gilded ormolu mounts, a single frieze drawer, raised...

Louis XV Style Gilt Metal Mounted Kingwood Black and Grey Marble Top Oval Low Table, early 20th century, the crossbanded top inset with a marble panel, on a scrolled frieze, with tal...

This unique Louis XVI Roll Top Desk was made in France around 1780. The outside of the secretary desk has a kingwood veneer with a gorgeous mar...

Victorian Kingwood and Gilt Metal Mounted Planter Jardinière Table, late 19th century, with removable cover opening to reveal a metal void, the waisted sides above a shaped apron, ra...

A fine French 19th-20th century Louis XV Style gilt bronze-mounted, Mahogany and Tulipwood Marquetry Side Cabinet/Secretaire in the style of François Linke (1855-1946). The slender s...

A stunning and extremely high quality French 19th century Louis XV st. Kingwood and ormolu desk possibly by François Linke. The desk is raised by elegant cabriole legs with handsome ...

19th century French kingwood bombe commode with red marble top in Louis XV style, with scrolling leaf ormolu mounts, the serpentine marble top with a moulded edge, above two deep dra...

A fine late 18th century Hepplewhite period concertina action mahogany card table, in the French taste, having kingwood crossbanded serpentine top above shaped frieze, supported on c...

A late 19th century French Bureau Plat in kingwood and amaranth parquetry with three drawers to one side with gilt bronze decoration all round; notable are the drawer handles modelled with Chinese heads; the two ends decorated with Apollo heads...

Antique French Louis XV Adam Style Marble Top Kingwood Hand Painted Commode with Drawers. Item features hand painted cameos and flowers throughout with serpentine front and 4 dovetai...

A Fine Late 19th Century French Kingwood and Ormolu Vitrine or Display Cabinet, the present piece with its glazed sides and glazed top panel was designed to be viewed in the round an...

This pair of French cabinets is exceptional due to the fact That they were finely constructed using fine materials in A louis XV-Style. The white marble top is very thick and Bull n...

Antique French Louis XV Style Heavily Detailed Inlay Kingswood & Mahogany with Brass Ormolu Mounted Blue Leather Topped 3 Drawer Writing Desk A stunning piece that combines exquisit...

A very fine and rare French 19th-20th century Louis XVI style Belle Epoque ormolu-mounted satine, kingwood and burlwood two-door cabinet, the mounts by Ferdinand Barbedienne, fitted with a shaped Breccia Colorata marble top above a Vitruvian scroll frieze, centered by two doors flanked by putti and griffin mounts, the interior with two shelves, on four tapering fluted legs, the backs of the mounts stamped 'FB'. Paris, circa 1890-1900. Ferdinand Barbedienne (French, 1810-1892) Was a highly important and prolific bronze founder of furniture mounts and more commonly, bronze sculpture including figures, animals, urns, clocks and candelabra. His signature Varied from hand written capitals to stamp in capitals,- Bronzes cast bear...

French Louis XVI style (18/19th Century) kingwood demilune shaped desk with bronze dore trim and gallery with leather top.

Set of Louis XV Style Gilt-bronze Mounted Kingwood Occasional Tables  French 19th Century  Dimensions: Height 29.5 inches, diameter 14 Height 29.5 inches, diameter 15

A handsome French late 19th century Louis XV st. Tulipwood, Kingwood, and Ormolu desk, signed by Krieger. The Bureau Plat desk is raised by elongated cabriole legs with fine pierced ...

An elegant French 19th century Louis XV st. Rosewood, Kingwood, Tulipwood, ormolu, and Incarnat Turquin marble desk. The three drawer desk is raised by slender cabriole legs with fin...

This gorgeous Louis XV Bombé commode features two drawers with pierced bronze d'ore drawer pulls and detailed escutcheons. The French antique piece dates back to the 19th century and...

A Scandinavian rosewood desk manufactured by Averskogs Möbelfabrik in Lammhult, Sweden, in the late 1960s. Two side chests of drawers, metal handles. Rationalist design. A Scandinav...

19th century kingwood parquetry and marble top serving table with rare dropfront secretary interior. Ormolu mounts and original galleried mar...

French Louis XV period (18th century) "Tric Trac" or Backgammon table stamped by the maker, "P. Roussel," and the guild "JME" (Jurande des Menuisiers et Ebenistes --translated as the...

Unusual George III inlaid rosewood and specimen wood parquetry work table, circa 1800. The hinged rectangular parquetry top inlaid with specimen woods in a lattice pattern and over ...

A fine and beautiful French 19th century Louis XVI Kingwood and parquetry inlaid armoire or cabinet by Maison Millet. Fine gilt bronze mounts and a Breccia marble top. Interior with ...

With a thick serpentine breche de alep marble top over a conforming case with two conforming drawers with bronze handles raised on cabriole legs with sabot feet. From a Bellevue Avenue Newport Rhode Island estate.

A rosewood bench with a long, low top, frame legs, and a matching mobile record holder divided into four compartments. Manufactured by Bruksbo, Norway, in the 1960s. Original tag pre...

Pair of French Louis XV Inlaid Marble Top Semainier Lingerie Chests Circa 1910 Dimensions : 55" Tall X 15" Wide X 13" Deep These gorgeous Semainier chests were made in France in t...

A late 18th century Louis XV three drawer chest veneered in various types of wood on four scrolled legs;.

The top is of serpentine outline and raised on a graceful curved leg which has been embellished with Gilt bronze mounts which are elaborate and very well constructed. The legs are c...

This exceptional French Louis XV secretary, crafted around 1770, is a stunning example of 18th-century craftsmanship. Featuring breathtaking ...

marquetry work in kingwood and walnut, having three drawers Inside two doors. A beautiful cameo with bronze doré figure of woman And an angel decorate the center front of the cabinet...

A Very Fine French 19th-20th Century Louis XV Style Ormolu and Jasperware-Mounted Rosewood, Mahogany and Kingwood Single Door Vitrine, in manner of François Linke (1855-1946). The u...