A French late 19th century ormolu mounted bois satine and rosewood bombe serpentine commode made by Francois Linke (1855-1946) for Maison Krieger
after the celebrated model by Charles Cressent
The thick marble top with a raised ogee moulded edge, above two long drawers inlaid sans traverse with quarter veneered shaped tablets, mounted with a sans traverse cartouche comprised of foliate and rocaille adorned C-scrolls, the lower shaped drawer mounted with a dressed monkey seated upon a knotted tightrope held aloft by a pair of opposing children, flanked by keeled angles with elaborate volute scroll, beaded, floral, cabochon embedded and acanthus embellished espagnolettes with feathered headdresses, on chute mounted and faceted cabriole legs terminating in foliate wrapped sabots, each end with half veneered shaped panels mounted with a dog walking on its hind legs upon a knotted tightrope below two opposing children each seated on a pedestal, the boy playing a flute and the girl playing a tambourine, the reverse with an ink stamp which reads: 'KRIEGER, 74 RUE DU FAUBOURG-SAINT-ANTOINE, PARIS' 162cm wide x 69cm deep x 97cm high, (63 1/2in wide x 27in deep x 38in high)
Footnotes:
A virtually identical commode to the offered lot, sold Bonhams, London, 24 September 2014, The Contents of Count and Countess Martignone's Milanese and Genoese Properties, lot 83. Whilst a pair of similar commodes by Francois Linke, circa 1900, sold Christie's, London, 29 November 2016, Opulence: 19th Century Furniture, lot 255.

Other comparables of this type include: one offered Sotheby's, Paris, 23 June 2021, Important Mobilier, lot 43; a similar commode sold Christie's, London, 15 April 2011, lot 158; one sold Christie's, London, 28 October 2014, lot 18; and a loosely related variant of rectilinear outline, which was made by Jules Allard et Fils, sold Christie's, New York, 18 April 2013, The Opulent Eye, lot 244. Another closely related commode, albeit one attributed to Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener, sold Sotheby's, 19th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, 24 October 2012, New York, Lot 271.

An important commode, which is arguably the closest to the present, is illustrated in C. Payne, Francois Linke, 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, 2003, Woodbridge, pl. 217, p. 201. It is both interesting and significant to note that Payne describes this featured example as: 'most probably an early Linke piece made for Krieger'. This would evidently be of particular relevance since the above is stamped for Krieger whilst being associated (as we have already seen) so unequivocally to the aforementioned Linke models, meaning that it would seem to be highly likely that these are ultimately from the same source.

A further conforming version, which appears in P. Kjellberg, Le Meuble Francais et Europeen du Moyen Age a nos Jours, p. 490, fig. 562, is evidently another instance of such a piece having been produced by Linke for the Krieger firm. Kjellberg even goes on to reference an additional copy of this Cressent type which exists in the form of an old black and white photographic print amongst those accumulated in the Francois Linke archives. However unfortunately no glass negative or cliche remains for this specific item.

Both Payne and Kjellberg posit that this was not a 'one-off' situation and that Linke, on a number of occasions in fact, provided furniture for what was by that time the renowned, successful and indeed flourishing Maison Krieger enterprise. Consequently it seems logical to assume that the offered commode, as with the two previous, was executed by Linke during his early period, at a time before he is known to have signed his creations from circa 1896 onwards.

This argument is reinforced by the absence of any glass negative. The amassing of glass negatives was a modus operandi that Linke only began to develop in the last few years of the 1890s. Up to that point, the sole priorities were the fulfilment of his clients' various requirements and the establishment of his business, so there had been no need for the cabinet maker to take photographs of his output at all. Also this practice would have necessitated more money, more time and, perhaps most importantly, the employment of more personnel at a time when the whole operation, despite its relentless growth, was still relatively small.

Alternatively it may be possible that at a later date Linke retrospectively obtained the original photographic print from Krieger, seeing as the former's continued to expand at an even more rapid rate following his successes at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Although of course there is no way of knowing this for certain.

Charles Cressent (1685-1768)
All of these comparables represent a masterful interpretation of the original early Rococo 'Commode aux Singes', circa 1745, made by one of the most celebrated cabinet makers working in 18th century France, Charles Cressent. They are indicative of a skilful re-invigoration of this important model. This championing of a major antecedent occurred at a time when such reverence and respect for the past, and in particular for the golden age of French furniture, was arguably at the height of fashion during the final two decades of the 19th century.

There are apparently a total of eight 18th century variants of the 'Commodes aux Singes' by Cressent. These include two at Waddesdon Manor, two at Lisbon's Museu Gulbenkian, one housed at the Louvre and another with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, D. Alcouffe, Furniture Collections in the Louvre, 1993, Dijon, fig. 40 and pp.'s 128-9. The sculptural use of ormolu mounts which can be seen on all of these appears to be a recurrent element throughout Cressent's oeuvre and can be explained by an assessment of the early part of his artistic career. He had in fact trained as a sculptor before marrying the widow of a cabinetmaker and subsequently taking over the workshop following the latter's death.

Cressent was a vital figure involved in both the dawn and early development of the Rococo in the French decorative arts, and this is evidenced by the design of the present lot which appears to bridge the gap between the Regence and Louis XV styles. Such pieces produced by Cressent served to inspire future cabinet makers, not only in the 18th century but also during the second half of the 19th century, and even into the very beginning of the subsequent century. As already noted, among those most influenced were Francois Linke and Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener (1849-1895).

Literature
C. Payne, Francois Linke, 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, 2003, Woodbridge.
P. Kjellberg, Le Meuble Francais et Europeen du Moyen Age a nos Jours, 2011.
D. Alcouffe, French Collections in the Louvre, Vol. 1, 1993, Dijon.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP
* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.
TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.