Ref.11261
Gabriel VIARDOT (attributed to), Japanese furniture with mother-of-pearl inlaid panels, late 19th century

This Japanese-style piece of furniture is perfectly in keeping with the work of cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot at the end of the 19th century. A talented woodcarver, Gabriel Viardot opened a furniture factory and shop in Paris in 1853. In the 1870s, he decided to devote himself to “Chinese-Japanese furniture”, of which this piece is a fine example. In the lower section, the doors incorporate two imported panels with mother-of-pearl inlays, depicting Sakura and butterflies, symbols of eternity in Far Eastern cultures. The back of the open central section is adorned with a refined bas-relief depicting a tree branch in bloom and a bird in flight. At the top, the asymmetry of the shelves is reminiscent of Japanese cha’dansu (or tea cabinets); some are closed with a mother-of-pearl inlaid panel. The crowning, typical of the artist, takes the shape of a pagoda roof and houses a menacing-looking dragon. The many carved and mother-of-pearl-inlaid details scattered across the surface of the piece reveal the finesse of Viardot’s work. Another piece of furniture, a drawing of which is preserved in the artist’s archives, has a very similar crowning.

Ref.15487
Set of Three Carved Wooden Curtain Boxes, Louis XVI Period

Rare set of three carved wooden curtain boxes, dating from the late 18th to early 19th century. Each piece features refined neoclassical Louis XVI ornamentation, including knotted ribbons, rows of egg-and-dart motifs, and stylized foliage. The vertical elements are fluted and punctuated with ribbon-bound crossings. The arched horizontal friezes are adorned with garlands and floral reliefs, showcasing remarkable craftsmanship and precision wood carving.