A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD AND MARQUETRY GRAND PIANO

IN THE LOUIS XV STYLE, THE CASE BY FRANOIS LINKE, THE MOVEMENT BY ERARD, PARIS, NO. 77612, CIRCA 1890

Details

A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD AND MARQUETRY GRAND PIANO
In the Louis XV Style, The case by Franois Linke, The movement by Erard, Paris, No. 77612, Circa 1890
The shaped case decorated to the top and sides with flowers within scroll frames, the hinged top with ribbon-tied fluted border, opening to reveal a satinwood-veneered interior inscribed Par Brevet d'Invention Seb. & Pre Erard 13 & 21 rue du Mail Paris, the interior signed above the keypad Erard Paris, on six cabriole legs, each headed by a pierced foliate clasp, the front-right clasp signed F. Linke, on paw and bun feet, with a lyre-shaped pedal support
39 in. (101 cm.) high; 83 in. (212 cm.) long; 54 in. (138.5 cm.) deep

Sale room notice

Please ask the relevant department for a report on the movement of the piano.

The style of the case of this piano is clearly more that of Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener. This is confirmed by the fact that a number of mounts have the initials 'ZJ' impressed to the rear of the casting. This is the mark of Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener.

Zwiener moved to Paris from Germany and established his workshops at 12, rue de la Roquette where he is recorded as working from 1880 until 1895. At that time he was commissioned to produce furniture for Freiderich Wilhelm II of Prussia and thus returned to Berlin, closing his workshops in Paris.

Evidence has come to light which confirms the delivery of the piano from the Erard workshop.

ERARD NO 77612

Demi-queue-longeur: 2,12m - Style Louis XV - modle No 1 avec marqueterie de bois satin et de violette, orn de bronzes cisels dors - 7 octaves - vendu le 11 octobre 1898 a Mme Tevenin - 23, rue de Lubeck a Paris pour le somme de 6500 FF.

It is fascinating to see that this piano bears the signature of Linke. Zwiener had begun work on the piano and therefore the casting of the mounts bear his initials. However, the work was completed by Linke, either through Zwiener's recommendation or was possibly purchased by Linke as 'work in hand' following Zwiener's move to Berlin.

Linke's atelier would have completed the hand-chiselling and piercing that they were renowned for and would have naturally signed the bronze.

Lot Essay

A virtually identical piano also signed on the mounts by F. Linke and made by Erard is illustrated in C. Payne, 19th Century European Furniture, Woodbridge, 1989, p. 171.

Franois Linke (d. 1946), awarded the gold medal for his Grand Bureau at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, was the most celebrated bniste of his time. Born in Bohemia in 1855, he moved to Paris in 1881. He produced furniture of the highest quality at his workshops at 170, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, and established showrooms at 26, Place Vendme. His work often interpreted the styles predominant during the ancienne rgime, however he designed and manufactured furniture that set him apart from his competitors, both in terms of quality and design.

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