BY JOSEPH-EMMANUEL ZWIENER, PARIS, LATE 19TH CENTURY

This sumptuous bureau plat is a tour de force of Rococo-inspired splendor and simultaneously celebrates the combined genius of Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener's superior craftsmanship with Léon Messagé's Art Nouveau-infused designs. Here Messagé embraces the asymmetry characterized by Rococo designers such as J.A. Meissonnier by creating sinuous lines and dramatic encadrements. The 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle signaled the height of their success as collaborators and Messagé was honored alongside Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener with a mdaille d'or for Zwiener's maginificent serre bijoux, sold Christie's, London, 17 March 2011, lot 409. In 1890, Messagé published his Cahier des Dessins et Croquis Style Louis XV, totaling thirty-six designs, ranging from furniture to silverware, which were made available to the public.