Mathäus Funk also spelled Matthäus Funk (; 18 April 1697 - 24 September 1783) was a Swiss ebonist and cabinet maker who was primarily active in Bern, Switzerland. Many of his furniture pieces were featured in notable auctions like

Lempertz Lempertz is an art auction house in Cologne, Germany. Early years Lempertz's roots go back to 1802 when Johann Matthias Heberle (1775–1840) opened a printing company in Cologne in 1802, which was later expanded to include an “antiquarian an ...

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

Life

Funk was born 18 April 1697 in Murten,

Old Swiss Confederacy The Old Swiss Confederacy or Swiss Confederacy (German language, Modern German: ; historically , after the Swiss Reformation, Reformation also , "Confederation of the Swiss") was a loose confederation of independent small states (, German or ...

, to German-born Johann Lorenz Funk, a postal carrier, and Anna Margarita Funk (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Sergant). He completed an apprenticeship as cabinet maker followed by journeyman years learning the ebonist trade. He took-up residency in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

on 23 November 1724. Since 1725 he was married to Maria Magdalena Wäber, who hailed from an old, well-established Bernese family. They had one son, Daniel Funk, who became a watch maker. After the death his sister-in-law, Rosina Wäber, managed the household. Another brother of his wife, Abraham Wäber, emigrated to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. His nephew-in-law,

John Webber John Webber (6 October 1751 – 29 May 1793) was an English artist who accompanied Captain Cook on his third Pacific expedition. He is best known for his images of Australasia, Hawaii and Alaska. Biography Webber was born in London, educated ...

, became the expedition painter of

James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Funk, Mathaus 1697 births 1783 deaths Cabinetmakers People from Bern Swiss people of German descent