Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.11427

Gabriel Viardot (attributed to), Japanese table with bones birds marquetery, circa 1870-1880

This japanese table, made of tainted sycamore in the last decades of the 19th century, is attributed to the Parisian furniture maker Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906), specialized in the creation of Chinese and Japanese inspired furntiure.

It's during the 1867 World Fair where he discovered the Japanese Art, the Gabriel Viardot decided to devote himself to “Chinese-Japanese style furniture”. It’s with this production that he was awarded a silver medal at the World's Fair of 1878. His furniture was produced thanks to lacquered and carved panels sent directly from China or Japan and decorated with mother of pearl inlays from Tonkin. He enlivened his furniture with bronze decorations, of which he made all the designs by hand. In 1885, he participated in the World Exhibition of Antwerp where he obtained a gold medal. At this time, the shop employed 90 – 100 workers, sculptors or cabinetmakers, a lot of who were educated directly by Gabriel Viardot. Following this exhibition, Gabriel Viardot was promoted to the rank of Knight in the Legion of Honor (December 29 1885). In 1889, he was at the World Exhibition that took place in Paris and awarded a gold medal. He obtained the same award at the World's Fair of 1900.

The furniture maker is making here, a very beautiful table of which the shape and the decors are inspired by the Far East esthetic. The slab with enrolled edges is adorned on its central part with an important inlaid decoration of bones depicting birds on cherry tree branches. It rests on a very worked foot receiving a carved and open work decor as bronze pieces with high quality carving, typical of the furniture maker's work. The feet with sharp claws sculpted in the wood support on their middle an open work strut.