Joseph-Émmanuel Zwiener fl. circa 1875-1900 A large and very fine pair of gilt-bronze mounted kingwood double-door vitrines Paris, late 19th century

bombé to the front and convex to the sides, each vitrine fitted with double doors opening to a mirrored interior and fitted with five glass shelves, the bronze mounts marked ZN and with their respective serial numbers from the workshop master patterns

Overall in good condition and very fine presentation. Tarnishing to gilt bronze which can be professionally cleaned. This pair of vitrines still has its original gilding. Some dry areas to the kingwood veneer and minor losses to edge of doors, this is visible in the online illustrations.
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.

A single vitrine of the exact same model, is currently in the permenent collection of French Garde du Mobilier Nationaland is currently exhibited at the musée d'Orsay, Paris under inventory GME 16375, DO 2009-3. This vitrine was previously in the Gallerie de L'Escalier at the French finance ministry

Joseph Emmanuel Zwiener (b. 1849) 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 nineteenth 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.’ In 1895, Zwiener was summoned to Berlin at the request of German Emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) at Schloss Neues Palais, Sans Souci, Potsdam. Zwiener was recorded as an exhibitor for the German Pavillion at the 1900 Exposition Universelle.