94 - François LINKE (1855–1946) (attributed to), after a drawing likely by Léon MESSAGÉ (1842–1901), circa 1890. An exceptional Regency-style ceremonial set crafted from carved, stuccoed, and gilded wood, comprising a mirror and a console table. The console rests on a base with four legs featuring a double-curved design, the movement of which is emphasized by abundant carving of veined acanthus leaves and flanked by two winged spandrels on the front of the front legs and two winged spandrels on the rear legs. These plant motifs follow the curve of the wood and extend into robust scrollwork, giving the piece an impression of controlled fluidity and monumentality. The entire piece is stabilized by an X-shaped brace, whose sinuous arms converge at the center on a large acanthus leaf featuring a woman’s bust at its center. The gilded wooden band, ingeniously openwork with latticework in a strictly symmetrical composition characteristic of the Regency style, displays a rich floral decoration. Vigorous acanthus scrolls, punctuated by cascading flowers and garlands, run along the rim of the tabletop. In the center, two angel musicians carved in high relief emerge from a swirl of acanthus leaves and flowers. There are minor chips and some floral motifs that need to be reattached. The piece is topped with a molded “Fleur de Pêcher” marble tabletop with a scalloped edge. Dimensions of the console table: 100x168x65 cm The mirror, of remarkable dimensions, echoes the console table’s ornamental vocabulary of veined acanthus leaves and openwork latticework. The pediment features jagged leaves at its center flanked by two cherubs; its shoulders are adorned with two winged dragons facing each other. Supporting the mirror is a large acanthus leaf motif featuring a woman’s bust at its center, echoing the console’s design; two cherubs seated within an acanthus leaf adorned with flowers complete the corners. There is a small chip in the carving of the leaf adorning the cherub in the lower left corner. There is a small loss of stucco and gilding above the cherub in the lower left corner. Mirror dimensions: 256x152 cm Total dimensions of the piece: 356x168x65 cm François Linke, born in Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) in 1855, began his career as a cabinetmaker around 1882 and worked in Paris until his death in 1946, in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. Around 1900, at the height of his career, he even opened a branch on the Place Vendôme. He specialized in crafting Louis XV- and Louis XVI-style furniture, pieces that were ambitious both in their size and their sumptuous bronze ornamentation, which earned him numerous commissions as early as the late 19th century. Seeking to move beyond mere copies of 18th-century styles, Linke collaborated with the already famous sculptor Léon Messagé and incorporated the sinuous lines that foreshadowed Art Nouveau, thereby developing a highly personal style. One of his greatest successes came at the 1900 World’s Fair, where the jury awarded him the gold medal for his desk—designed by Messagé—made of violetwood and mounted with Louis XV-style bronze fittings. The *Revue artistique et industrielle* praised Linke, writing that his booth at the Exposition was the greatest display ever achieved in the history of art furniture. Léon Messagé was born on March 8, 1842, in Sens, in the Yonne department. At age 20, he was living in Paris at 23 Rue de Rivoli and was listed as a “stone sculptor.” Around 1885, he began collaborating with François Linke, a leading cabinetmaker of the Belle Époque, providing him with designs for furniture and ornamental bronzes. They collaborated until Messagé’s death on May 16, 1901, at the age of 58. It was thanks to this collaboration with François Linke that Messagé achieved success during the final decades of the 19th century. In fact, Messagé was awarded a gold medal at the 1889 World’s Fair, and he was the one who designed all the major pieces of furniture for François Linke’s booth at the 1900 World’s Fair.