Vachette Frères
Founded in 1864 in Troyes as Bresson-Vachette, renamed Vachette Frères in 1865, the firm became one of France’s foremost locksmiths. With workshops in Troyes and, from 1870, Sailly-Flibeaucourt, Vachette supplied locks to the leading Parisian ébénistes of the late 19th century. Their mechanisms, stamped “V.F.” and “Paris” above crossed keys, appear on some of the most important furniture of the period.
Five Vachette Frères locks from the drawers of a Bureau Plat by François Linke
Our Research & Documentation
From the locks on both our François Linke bureau plat and the Khan cabinets, the lock mechanisms bear a reference number engraved beneath the maker’s stamp. These numbers differ between lock mechanisms and are used to identify the type of lock.
However, the numbers also vary within the same piece: both the Linke desk and the Khan cabinets have locks with different numbers beneath the Vachette Frères stamp. In the case of the Khan cabinets, the locks appear to be identical despite bearing different reference numbers, which suggests that the numbers may not relate solely to lock type. They may instead have assisted the manufacturer and clients in distinguishing between different mechanisms, sizes, batches, or other internal variations, although this remains uncertain.
Illustrated Maker’s Marks and Stamps
