A FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD, SATINÉ AND BOIS DE BOUT MARQUETRY PIANO À QUEUE

This simple, though elegantly-decorated, piano à queue is in the distinctive fin de siècle style of high-rococo which became synonymous with François Linke’s oeuvre from 1900 through the end of his career.  Linke most often fitted instruments with Erard movements, for which the ébéniste was charged 3,000 francs. The present example appears in the company ledger in December 1901 as a ‘Piano à Queue N°1, style Louis XV en marqueterie de bois satiné et violette orné de bronzes ciselés dorés’.  Most interestingly, the piano was shipped to London to Mrs. S. and P.  Erard, either for the piano-maker’s private residence or the company’s showroom.  A piano by Linke, possibly the present lot, is illustrated in C. Payne, European Furniture of the 19th Century, Woodbridge, 2013, p. 142.  Another piano, serial number 77612, was completed for a for Madame Tevenin of 23 rue de Lubeck, Paris on 11 October 1898 and was described as ‘Demi-queue-longeur: 2,12m - Style Louis XV - model No 1 avec marqueterie de bois satin et de violette, orné de bronzes ciselés dorés (sold Christie’s, London, 28 October 1999, lot 182, £56,500).