Ref.11349
Gabriel VIARDOT (attributed to) - Japanese style cupboard with dragon

This small walnut cabinet is attributed to Gabriel Viardot. The decor is quite characteristic of the production of this Parisian cabinetmaker specializing in Japanese and Chinese-style furniture. The lower part consists of multiple vertical boxes surmounted by three shelves. The upper part of this piece is decorated with latticed wood in the tradition of Japanese furniture. A gilded bronze dragon crowning this cupboard is entirely characteristic of the production of Gabriel Viardot. The vertical uprights are also decorated with gilded bronze elements that we can also find on other productions by Gabriel Viardot. Gabriel Viardot started his wood-sculpting career in 1849, when he sent some furniture pieces in natural décor to the horticultural exhibition. He then became the head of a small team of sculptors when he was just 19 years old. In 1853, he had a factory and a store of furniture located at 36 and 38 Rambuteau Road. During this time, he worked with his brother, Louis Gustave, under the name “Viardot Brothers and Company.” In 1860, he created his own workshop, “G. Viardot” at 5 Grand-Chantier road, and became head of the family business that he kept until 1872. He decided to devote himself to “Chinese-Japanese style furniture,” which he was able to observe mainly at the 1867 World Exposition. At this same exposition, he was awarded four medals. It’s with this production that he was awarded at the 1878 World Exposition with a silver medal. Following that, he practiced consecutively at 15 Chaume road, 3 Archives road in 1878 and 36 Amelot road near the end of the century. 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. Over the course of the years, the success only continued to grow, particularly at the expositions of Nice and the 8th exposition of the Central Union of Decorative Arts in 1884. In 1885, he participated in the World Exposition 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 exposition, he was promoted to the rank of Knight in the Legion of Honor (December 29 1885). In 1889, he was at the World Exposition that took place in Paris and awarded a gold medal. He obtained the same award at the 1900 World Exposition.

Ref.12893
Maison GIROUX and Ferdinand DUVINAGE - Exceptional and rare cup with waders with iridescent glass and electroplated decor, circa 1870-1880

This cup made in the 1870-1880’s by the maison Giroux, as indicates the signature on the mount, is a piece extremely rare because of the material used. Indeed, few models with iridescent glass are known today. The Japanese inspiration of the decor and the model of our cup indicate that it is a creation of Ferdinand Duvinage who takes the direction of the maison Giroux between 1867 and 1876, then taken by his widow when he dies. This store which was originally selling all kind of supplies and small objects such as paints, varnishes, albums, writing-papers, fans, toys, boxes and souvenirs, but also lithographs, drawings and watercolors, considerably developed in the first decades of the 19th century. First, because they count among the clients, important persons such as the Duchesse de Berry, Louis XVIII or even Charles X, then by the drive given by Alphonse Giroux’s sons who joined the firm in 1833. Thus, Alphonse-Gustave Giroux, the eldest son, had the idea to sell small furniture. Even though he was an artist himself, he worked like furniture dealers of the 18th century, with artists who did not have the right to put their signature and exerted a hold over the design of the creation that he chose. He also decided to move the store in the new Opera district on the corner of the 43 boulevard des Capucines and the 24 rue Neuve des Capucines in 1855. On this same year, the company which had already won medals for the quality of its production during previous events, sells during the World Fair, to the Impress Eugénie, a bonheur du jour, conserved today in the château de Compiègne. In 1867, the store direction is given to Ferdinand Duvinage, Harinkouck and Brune. Little things are known about Harinkouck and Brune who seem to have been associated for a short period of time as Duvinage remains the only one in 1874. Ferdinand Duvinage (1813-1876) who seems to be cousin with Alphonse-Gustave Giroux, joins the company during a few years before taking its direction, without changing the name. He files in 1874, 1876 and 1877 patents for a marquetry technique of mosaic with metallic partitioning for furniture and art objects. His method is really original because it involves the combined union of ivory as a base, wood for the designs or ornaments, and copper or other metal to partitioning the ivory fragments. The firm continues to participate to World Fairs where they win many medals, even though they are not that much mentioned by the critics, we know that the productions with the Japanese vocabulary created under the direction of Duvinage were also very appreciated and were a real commercial success.

Ref.14966
Albert-Ernest CARRIER-BELLEUSE, CHOISY-LE-ROI Manufacture, Bust of an Oriental Woman in glazed earthenware

This bust was created by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse for the Choisy-le-Roi faience factory in the second half of the 19th century. Albert-Ernest Carrier de Belleuse, known as Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887), was the most prolific sculptor of the Second Empire. He was quickly influenced by the importance of decorative arts and worked with Ferdinand Barbedienne on the creation of decorative objects. He achieved great success at exhibitions and received numerous official commissions. He produced many busts of beautiful and elegant young women, including a Bust of a Woman Wearing a Diadem held at the Orsay Museum. He also provided bust models for the Choisy-le-Roi Faience Factory, where his son later became the artistic director. This bust of an oriental woman, created from an original sculpture signed by Carrier-Belleuse, was made for this manufactory. Titled The Bust of an Algerian Woman, it was auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2017. It is one of his rare orientalist works. The desire to depict a woman in oriental costume aligns with the idealization evident throughout the sculptor's work. The smiling woman shows her teeth. Her long, loose hair, adorned with multiple sequins along the edges, rests on her shoulder and is topped with a hat featuring orientalist motifs. Her bare chest, partially covered by a crumpled fabric and accentuated by the two rows of her necklace, exudes great sensuality. The colorful costume draping her shoulders is highlighted by the vivid colors and brilliance of the faience. At the base of the bust, a gilded belt emphasizes the richness of the costume. The bust is signed on the back and bears the mark of the Choisy-le-Roi manufactory.

Ref.11997
Clément MASSIER, Allegory of Dante, glazed ceramic dish with iridescent glaze

This ornamental dish entitled "Allegory of Dante" was created by Clément Massier around 1900. Clément Massier trained under his father and one of his workers, Gaetano Gandolfi. He settled in Golfe-Juan, near Vallauris, with his brother Delphin, in 1883. This plate with a symbolist design reveals his mastery of iridescent (or metallic luster) glazed ceramics, for which he was awarded a gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. It features variations in blue, gray, and pink tones. The silhouettes of Dante and Virgil, his guide in hell, barely stand out against a desolate landscape evoking hell as described by the author in his Divine Comedy. The figures are on the edge of a precipice; they are likely standing before the frozen lake in which Lucifer is trapped, at the lowest point of hell. The work is signed under the base; the inscription specifies that it was made in Golfe-Juan. Clément Massier also created a plate in iridescent glazed earthenware depicting Dante contemplating the sea. Its iridescent decor in blue, pink, and purple tones also results in a depiction filled with mystery and poetry.