Louis XVI Style Mahogany and Lacquer Commode by François Linke, circa 1890

An important Louis XVI style gilt bronze-mounted commode, after the model by Jean-Francois Leleu by François Linke. French, circa 1910. Linke index number: 1127. Linke title: 'Commode Louis XVI, Bois d'amarante et de rose.' Signed ‘Linke’ to the right-hand side chute. This distinguished commode is quarter veneered in mahogany with bois de violette banding and boxwood stringing. It is furnished with finely cast gilt-bronze mounts and surmounted by a brèche violette marble top. It appears that Linke bought the rights to make this commode from the Vente Cueunières in 1902, although there is no trace of it being made by him until the summer of 1908 and there is no entry in the Blue Daybooks for this model. The green registres have two pages devoted to the making of the commodes, the first at a cost of 1,540 and 40 centimes, with eight more made in the intervening years, the last, a pair, in 1927 with the cost price escalating to 8,529 francs. The registre is not entirely clear, but it appears that Clément Linke, father and son, made the locks for this model. The cabinetmaking was exclusively by Guntren who took 496 hours per commode, paid 85 centimes in 1908 rising to 5 francs 75 cents for the last pair. Linke priced this commode at 3,000 French francs, noting in his book 'original est de Leleu est à Trianon.' The original commode by Leleu, on loan from the Petit Trianon, is shown in a line engraving in the retrospective part of the Exposition de l' Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 1882, De Champeau & Others, 'Les arts du bois,' pub. Quantin, 1883, p. 80. The commode entered the Petit Trianon in 1867 on the occasion of an earlier exhibition dedicated to the memory of Marie-Antoinette, organised under the patronage of the Empress Eugénie. Jean-François Leleu A pupil and later collaborator with Jean-François Oeben, Jean-François Leleu became maître on the latter’s death in 1763. His work can be divided into two concurrent but distinct styles: the first owing more to the legacy of Oeben, being of large, solid forms, more noble in style; the second, although retaining the clean, definite lines of the first, being an exercise in elegance and understatement. It is this second style for which Leleu is chiefly remembered and which the present commode, with its lightly bombé form and restrained frieze mounts, is a principal example. Literature: Payne, Christopher. François Linke, 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, (woodbridge, UK), 2003; p. 502, for the black and white cliché of index number 1127 Meyer, Jonathan. Great Exhibitions, Antique Collectors club, (Woodbridge, UK), 2006; p. 298 - 300. Pradère, Alexandre. French Furniture Makers; p. 340, fig. 398; and P. Arizzoli-Clementel. Versailles Furniture...

A Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted marquetry commode with marble top, possibly by François Linke. French, circa 1900. Stamped 'Mon LEGER' to the back of the commode for the retailer Émile Léger...

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 ...

A fine pair of Louis XVI style gilt bronze mounted mahogany stands, firmly attributed to François Linke. This delicate pair of mahogany pedestals or stands each have an inset green onyx top above a frieze mounted with allegorical scenes of music. The frieze contains a pull-out slide and the stands are raised on square section tapering legs headed by musical trophies and united by a shaped stretcher with a flambeau finial. An almost identical Stand, with a green onyx top, typical slender legs and shaped stretcher is illustrated by Christopher Payne in François Linke (1855-1946) 'The Belle Époque of French Furniture', p. 53, pl. 44. It is described as a Stand or gaine and titled by Linke as 'Pedestal Louis XVI acajou et bronzes dorés', index number 56. It was available with or without a slide and a drawer, priced between 400 and 500 francs. A comparable version is also shown as a pencil drawing from Linke's Daybook and illustrated in Payne, p. 474. The ribbon tied musical trophies that head the legs of each stand was a mount frequently used by Linke on a number of different items of furniture including vitrines, commodes and a Bibliothèque Louis XVI...

19th Century French Bombe Louis XV Style Marble Top Commode with Floral Inlays, Professionally refinished 19th century French Bombe Louis XV style marble-top commode with floral inl...

Late 19th century Louis XVI bronze, wood, and marble commode by François Linke after a Model by Jean-François Leleu, France By: Francois Linke, Jean-François Leleu (in the style of)...

One of only three of its kind, this commode was crafted by the famed and highly celebrated ébéniste François Linke. Blending the stunning marquetry of the Louis XV and XVI styles with the elegance of Art Nouveau, the commode exemplifies Linke's skilled craftsmanship. Inspired by François Alix's iconic "Meuble Soleil" design, Linke's creation showcases his signature genius in every aspect of the commode's construction. The superior quality of the breche marble shelves and top, marquetry and ormolu that form the undulating body of the cabinet serve as a testament to Linke’s unwavering dedication to perfection. The craftsman spared no expense, investing significant time and utilizing only the finest materials to create this work of art. Tens of thousands of hand-wrought chisel marks are visible within the ormolu frieze of scrolling foliage. The breathtaking marquetry landscape on the front is perhaps the commode's greatest feature, depicting a radiant sun bursting from behind trees, elegantly enhanced by Linke's unmistakable signature on the lower right molding and on the inside of the inner cabinets. For Linke, winning the coveted Gold Medal at the 1900 Paris Exhibition Universelle confirmed his already solid reputation as France's leading ébéniste. His work had long been admired for its exceptional quality and unique interpretation of the Louis XV style. Born in Bohemia in 1855, Linke moved to Paris in 1881 where he established his now-famous workshop and showroom. Word of Linke's superior work spread quickly through France, and he soon eclipsed even the finest furniture houses in Paris. Today, Linke is counted among the most important furniture makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his work is dearly coveted by collectors. As one of the most masterful furniture designers and bronziers of his time, François Alix would only supply designs and bronze pieces to the most skilled of his contemporaries. Linke chose this unique design personally and only produced three versions of this remarkable piece, with the first one crafted in 1910. A similar commode is housed in the Royal Collection Trust...

A French Louis XV style ormolu-mounted and end-cut floral and fruit marquetry two-drawer serpentine-shaped bombé commode by François Linke (1855-1946), Index number 720, the mounts d...