French Bureau Plat by François Linke & Retailed by Edwards & Roberts

Firmly attributed to François Linke (1855-1946)

Retailed by Edwards & Roberts

A fine quality, French, mahogany and gilt bronze mounted bureau plat in the Louis XV style. The serpentine shaped rectangular top with leather lined writing surface within a gilded rim, above a single oak lined drawer, standing on slender cabriole legs ending in gilt sabots. Leather replaced. Gilding original. Mounts stamped ‘LF’ from the master moulds. Stamped ‘Edwards & Roberts’ to frieze, ivorine trade label inside drawer front.

Height 29” (74cm)

Depth 22 1/2” (57cm)

Width 35 1/2“ (90cm)

French

Circa 1890

François Linke was undoubtedly the most important Parisian ébéniste of his time. Having served an apprenticeship in his home town of Pankraz, Bohemia, Linke arrived in Paris in 1875 and set up an independent workshops at 170, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1881 and later also at 26, Place Vendôme.

By the time of the 1900 Exposition Universelle, working with Léon Messagé, the celebrated sculptor, Linke’s worldwide reputation as a master of high individualism and inventiveness was already established and unmatched by his contemporaries. His success at the 1900 Exhibition Universelle afforded Linke a degree of financial stability and allowed him to pursue new markets by exhibiting at subsequent international fairs.

At the turn of the century, Linke had moved from reproducing works by the ‘old masters’ to develop his own unique style, combining elements of the rococo with the latest fashions in art nouveau, to create what became termed ‘le style Linke’. Linke’s work was met with critical acclaim at the 1900 Exposition Universelle, Paris, where he was awarded a gold medal.

In 1904, he was made Officier de l’Instruction publique, and in 1905 he was called to be a member of the Jury of the Liège exhibition. Following his stands in the St.Louis (USA) exhibition in 1904 and the Liège exhibition in 1905, Linke was decorated with the highest distinction of France, the « Croix de la Légion d’Honneur », on October 11, 1906.

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