'BAHUT MARINE': A HIGHLY IMPORTANT FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KIN...

'BAHUT MARINE': A HIGHLY IMPORTANT FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD, SATINE, MAHOGANY AND MARQUETRY CABINET
BY FRANÇOIS LINKE, INDEX NUMBER 560, THE MOUNTS DESIGNED BY LÉON MESSAGÉ, PARIS, 1899-1904
'BAHUT MARINE': A HIGHLY IMPORTANT FRENCH ORMOLU-MOUNTED KINGWOOD, SATINE, MAHOGANY AND MARQUETRY CABINET BY FRANÇOIS LINKE, INDEX NUMBER 560, THE MOUNTS DESIGNED BY LÉON MESSAGÉ, PARIS, 1899-1904 Of bombé form, surmounted by a water nymph with upturned urn, the door with deep oval recess cast in high relief with a waterfall and bridge view below a tinted veneer sky, over a protruding cartouche-shaped panel headed by a river-god mask suspending anchored ropes, flanked by seated conch-blowing and paddle-bearing tritons, above large fishes emerging from reeds, the apron with marquetry panel depicting an underwater scene of fish, jellyfish and seaweed, the sides applied with festooned net, reed and shell mounts, above marquetry panels depicting a lobster and oyster, the projecting angles headed by shell and coral-cast scrolled clasps, the interior with central shell and seaweed-inlaid concaved cupboard door opening to a single shelf, above a recess and flanked on each side by three drawers concealed with sans traverse mounts of paddles and nets bound with ribbon and rope pulls, the lower section fitted with a single shelf, on triangular shaped cabriole legs terminating in shell and reed-cast sabots; signed 'F. Linke' above the right-hand triton, the lock-plate engraved 'CT LINKE/SERRURERIE/PARIS' 86¾ in. (220 cm.) high; 60¾ in. (154.3 cm.) wide; 23¼ in. (59 cm.) deep