Pair of Louis XV Style Vitrines Attributed to J.-E. Zwiener, France, Circa 1885

Charming Louis XV style tables forming a pair, in a scalloped shape, opening with a drawer on the belt and made in wood veneer. Their tray surrounded by a bronze mold is decorated wi...

Pair of Louis XVI style commodes attributed to Krieger, in veneered wood and gilded bronze ; opening with three drawers, including one on the belt forming a writing desk and concealing two small side drawers. The commodes are decorated with an interlacing marquetry set with a double net on a green tinted wood background decorated in its center with florets. Rich ornamentation of chiseled and gilded bronzes decorated with acanthus friezes on the belt and garlands of flowers and frieze of posts at the corners, molded frames of water leaves on the side panels. They rest on four fluted feet surmounted by Corinthian capitals, and with a Griotte marble top. These commodes are inspired by those created by Jean-François Leleu delivered by order n° 32 of May 1st, 1773, with a third commode kept in London (Wallace Collection) for the bedroom of the Princesse de Condé at the Palais Bourbon in Paris. The central diamond, originally inlaid with a lily flower pattern, was changed during the Revolution. The pair is now exposed in the Petit Trianon in Versailles (see photo n°1 attached). Jean-François Leleu (1729-1807), Parisian cabinet-maker, began his career as an apprentice in Jean-François Oeben’s workshop. Installed on the chaussée de la Contrescarpe, he became Maître ébéniste in 1764 and moved to rue Royale-Saint-Antoine. He worked for an aristocratic private clientele, including the prince de Condé for whom he delivered furniture between 1772 and 1777, or the comtesse du Barry...

An important pair of Louis XVI style gilt-bronze mounted vitrines with wedgwood Jasperware plaques, by Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener. French, circa 1880. Stamped 'NZ', 'NZ.309' and 'ZJ' to the reverse of the bronze mounts. Signed to the reverse of the lockplate 'Mon THEAU THIEFFINE Succ./SERRURIER PARIS'. This rare pair of vitrines, each have a shaped Carrera marble top above a frieze centred by a round classical Jasperware plaque flanked by gilt-bronze putti figures and scrolling acanthus running pattern. Below is a gilt-bronze framed bevelled glass door above a panel centred by a finely modelled Jasperware plaque of a putto representing the seasons. The door is flanked to either side by gilt-bronze monnaie pattern and headed by a pair of exceptionally fine female canephor figures. The shaped sides have corresponding bevelled glass panels and the vitrine is raised on tapering fluted legs. The distinctive canephor figures, finely cast as female caryatids with ringlets in their hair and supporting baskets of fruit upon their heads, is a distinctive and celebrated model unique to Zwiener. Many of Zwieners bronzes are executed in the Louis XV style, with flowers and scrolling acanthus leaves and an emphasis on asymmetry, typical of the work of his bronze sculptor Léon Messagé. The mounts employed on this rare pair of vitrines however sees Zwiener creating his own up-to-date reinterpretation of the Louis XVI style, drawing inspiration from established Louis XVI models such as those designed by Weisweiler for Marie-Antoinette's Dressing table. [See Mestdagh, p.305]. A second distinctive feature of the vitrines is the finely modelled Wedgwood Jasperware plaques incorporated in the frieze of each vitrine and beneath the doors. Wedgwood exhibited at nearly all of the Universal Exhibitions held in 19th century France, displaying amongst other pieces, plaques specifically intended to be mounted on to furniture. The first vitrine displays to the frieze a finely modelled plaque in the classical style, depicting a group of putti at play, one being pushed on a swing, while another plays a trumpet and a small attentive dog watches from below. Beneath the glass panelled door a larger Jasperware plaque is incorporated depicting a putto figure with a garland of flowers, emblematic of spring. The second vitrine has a classical plaque...

This is a monumental and stunning kingwood and walnut vitrine with incredible quality bronze and a gorgeous slab of coral hued marble on top. The cabinet has all of the hallmarks of ...