Regency Style Hard Wood Desk by François Linke, 1890s

This office is a masterpiece of the French cabinetmaker François Linke from the end of the 19th century (Circa 1890).
The Linke stamp is visible on one of the bronze falls (upright in front) and the interior of the locks as for the majority of its parts.
This turbulent flat desk of style opens at 3 drawers on a belt and rests on 5 arched feet specific to the Régence-Louis XV style.
It is entirely worked in precious wood veneer such as kingwood and satin. The gilded bronze trim is of exceptional quality.
It represents acanthus leaves and satyr masks. In addition, with Linke, the work in chiseled gilded bronze reaches heights never reached.
Also, there is a magnificent overall harmony, as much colors as materials. Finally, the shades of satin and violet wood go perfectly with the bronzes gilding, the fawn color above the leather and the patterns of this leather.

A few words from Christopher Payne about François Linke in "François Linke 1855-1946 The Belle Epoque of French Furniture": François Linke (1855-1946) François Linke was undoubtedly the biggest Parisian cabinetmaker of his time. Linke was established in Paris in 1875 and created his own workshops at 170, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine in 1881. He produced furniture inspired by the various styles of the old regime. In 1900, his reputation as one of the great masters of high quality furniture was made. However, it was his participation in the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900 that marked the top of his career. In a set of furnished rooms Linke exhibited a set of extraordinary pieces including a large office which earned him the gold medal. Critics praised him. The immense international success met by François Linke at the 1900 exhibition gave him great financial stability, allowing him to settle in immense apartments of the prestigious Place Vendôme. This also allowed him to prospect new often distant markets by participating in numerous international exhibitions. Among these the Universal Exhibition of Saint-Louis in 1904 which once again earned him the gold medal, the Liège exhibition in 1905 and the Franco-British exhibition of London in 1908. He thus became the supplier of biggest families around the world. His most extraordinary pieces are a combination of the Louis XV style and the Art Nouveau style, giving them very great originality. In 1904, Linke was a public education officer, and in 1905 he was a member of the Jury of the Liège exhibition. After his successes at the Saint-Louis exhibition in 1904 and that of Liège in 1905, he received the largest French distinction, the Cross of the Legion of Honor in 1906.