Ref.10704
Julien-Nicolas RIVART (1802-1867) - Curved writing desk with lozenges marquetry And flowers bouquet in porcelain inlay

This charming writing desk is designed in curves : the rounded feet follows a movement that also curves the sides of the chest. On this one, the rosewood has been plaited in a nice work of marquetry in lozenges. The elegant sobriety of black and gold highlights the luminosity of the rosewood veneer, the false marble, and the vivid colors of the porcelain flowers. Auguste Luchet evoked with lyricism "the magic that comes from a bouquet in kaolin on a black background" like on our desk. The chest is indeed graciously decorated with Julien-Nicolas Rivart 's porcelains. He is the inventor of the porcelain marquetry technique, a unique process, searched for a long time and patented in 1849, he was the only one to master. We have here a beautiful example of these rare decorations with a bouquet of roses, white campanulas, pansies, tulip and forget-me-nots. The shelf is adorned as well by a beautiful frieze of wild flowers. Rivart , a skillful artist, achieved an aesthetic synthesis between the Florentine hard stone marquetry and the decoration of porcelain slabs from 18th century. He can hence combine the lightness of marquetry and its sophisticated contrasts effects, with the charm of painting on porcelain. The marquetry invented by Rivart enables these sophisticated hues to contrast directly with the wood, and prevents to hide the veins and the cabinetmaker's beautiful work. For that reason, at the World's Fairs of 1851, 1855 and 1867, this technique is described as "a delicious process", "yet more beautiful than beautiful", and receives the Emperor Napoleon III's congratulations. Open, the desk offers its beautiful rose wood veneers and its mahogany lozenges marquetry. The chest includes two shelves and five drawers equipped with gilt bronze vegetable shaped handles. At last, the shelf is embellished by an embossed and gilt leather blotter.

Ref.11313
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906) - Japanese style shelf cabinet with mother of pearl decoration

Stamped "G. VIARDOT". This cabinet with shelves is signed by the Parisian cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot and has a rich japanese style decor: dragon, heron and turtle in bronze, inlaid ivory, bone and mother of pearl decorated with flowering branches. It opens with three doors and a drawer. It is surmounted by an important Foo dog in polished varnished bronze, which is one of Gabriel Viardot's trademarks. Its asymmetrical construction is characteristic of the creations of the Parisian cabinetmaker. The composition thus alternates solid elements and empty spaces. The central leaf is adorned with a carved and inlaid mother-of-pearl panel from Tonkin. The most outstanding decorative element of this cabinet is a Foo dog crowning the piece of furniture. To the right of the cabinet, supporting a tablet, a crane resting on the back of a turtle is also made out of polished varnished bronze as the sinuous dragon located in the lower part of the furniture. These are, just like the winding base, often present on the furnitures by Gabriel Viardot.

Ref.14968
Alphonse GIROUX (in the manner of), Bamboo Decorated Gueridon, first half of the 19th century

This gueridon with bamboo decor was made in the spirit of Alphonse Giroux during the first half of the 19th century. In the late 1790s, Alphonse Giroux (1775/76–1848) established a store selling artistic supplies and small objects at 7 Rue Coq-Saint-Honoré in Paris. He collaborated with artists and had a strong influence on the design of the items he sold. His shop catered to a highly distinguished clientele, including kings Louis XVIII and Charles X. In 1833, his sons, André (1801–1879) and Alphonse-Gustave (1809–1886), joined the business; under Alphonse-Gustave’s influence, the store began to create small furniture pieces like the one in question. André and Alphonse-Gustave took over the business in 1838 and remained at its helm until 1867, when it was taken over by Ferdinand Duvinage (1813–1876) and two associates. This small table rests on four legs crafted to imitate bamboo stalks. Each protrusion marking the height of the legs is accentuated by a gilt bronze element, itself mimicking bamboo, like a mise en abyme. The gueridon has three tiers. Two of these intermediate tiers are arranged around a circle connecting the four legs, bordered by two fine golden bamboo rods. The center is occupied by a stretcher of partially frosted glass, as if surrounded by lace and sprinkled with small flowers. The top tier features decoration that also plays on transparency – and the absence of transparency – though in a more complex manner: the center is marked by a circle adorned with a frieze of garlands; on the outside, the floral motif from the lower levels reappears, itself encircled by a delicate frieze of flowers and leaves; lace transitions to the bamboo, then to two wood veneers linking the four gilded bronze caps crowning the table’s legs. A fine gilt bronze interlacing crowns the piece. The bamboo motif was used in decorative arts from the late 18th century, which explains its presence in this period. It also returned to fashion at the end of the 19th century, aligning both with the taste for revival furniture and the vogue for Japonism. The designer of this piece offers a particularly refined and delicate interpretation of the bamboo motif with this gueridon, following in the tradition of prestigious 18th-century cabinetmakers and anticipating the trend for East Asian-inspired arts to come.