Joseph-Émmanuel Zwiener A MAGNIFICIENT GILT-BRONZE MOUNTED KINGWOOD COMMODE PARIS, CIRCA 1895-1900, after the model by Johann Melchior Kambli made circa 1760

surmounted by a brêche violette marble top inset within a molded border centered by a beared-male mask, the frieze set with two small drawers above a single deep drawer fronted with putti at play holding floral garlands, front and sides with floral and foliate cast mounts, stamped ZWIENER to top of right-end side frieze drawer.

H.D. Molesworth and J. Kenworthy-Brown, Three Centuries of Furniture, New-York, 1969, p. 72 for the illustration of the 18th century model

H. Kreisel, G. Himmelheber, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, Munich, 1970, p. 771 for an illustration of the king's desk at Sanssouci executed by Kambli with mounts close to the present commode

Overall in good condition with the usual minor scratches, nicks and wear to carcass veneers consistent with age and use. Tarnishing in places to bronze mounts. The marble with the usual chips to edges and scratches to surface consistent with age. Loss to floral garland formerly held by right side putti and loss of a mount formerly located to the center of the apron beneath the putti.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The original commode was commissioned by Frederick II of Prussia (1712-1786) circa 1760 and is veneered with red tortoiseshell and surmounted by a lapis lazuli top with silver bandings. Although the bronze mounts have clearly  been identified as designed and cast by Johann Melchior Kambly (born 1718 in Zürich, died 1783 in Potsdam), the carcass was probably made by the Spindler brothers: Johann Friedrich (1726-1812) and Heinrich Wilhelm Spindler (1738-1788). In 1764 the two brothers moved to Potsdam and as Hofebenisten the brothers were entrusted with parts of the furnishings for the Neues Palais in Potsdam, including boiserie panels and commodes showing the very characteristics of the piece offered here and such in keeping with the Kaisser's fervent admiration for the rococo style and it was in this manner that he wished his palaces to be decorated.

150 years later, a royal descendant, Kaiser Wilhelm II, German Emperor and King of Prussia (1859-1941) summoned Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener to Postdam at Neues Palais, Sans Souci. Although he admired the work of Parisian cabinetmakers, Kaiser Wilhelm II preferred the work of German craftsmen. Zwiener had produced a copy of a bureau du Roi for Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1884, prior to receiving his summons from the Kaiser. However, given that there were a number of notable German craftsmen working for the court at the time, Wilhelm's interest in Zwiener is significant. Always keen to tout the ideals of a Franco-German unification, Wilhelm was probably intrigued by the fact that Zwiener, a German, had found such success in Paris. The Kaiser's commission must have likewise been a strong inducement for Zwiener, who had spent so much of his professional life away from home.  Consequently the impetus for making this fine quality copy results undoubtedly result form this period as the master had access to the original commode allowing him to make precise measurements as well as drawings and most certainly squeezes of the original mounts.

Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener was born in 1849 and worked in Paris between 1880 and 1895. He established his workshop at 12, rue de la Roquette, becoming one of the premiere haut luxe cabinetmakers of the late 19th century. The exceptional quality of Zwiener's craftsmanship and extensive usage of fine gilt-bronze invites comparisons to the work of famed ébéniste, François Linke (1855-1946). Working in several styles fashionable in Paris at the time, Zwiener copied mainly Louis XV pieces from public collections, adapting them in his own exuberant interpretation of rococo. At the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889, he received the gold medal and a note of high praise from the jurists: 'dès ses débuts d'une Exposition universelle, [il] s'est mis au premier rang par la richesse, la hardiesse et le fini de ses meubles incrustés de bronzes et fort habilement marquetés.'  Zwiener was recorded as an exhibitor for the German Pavillion at the 1900 Exposition Universelle.