Ref.16684
Maison TAHAN and Julien-Nicolas RIVART (1802-1867) - Perfume box decorated with porcelain marquetry

Bibliography: Marc Maison and Emmanuelle Arnauld, Masterpices of Marquetry in the 19th century, Patents. Rivart, Cremer, Fourdinois, Kayser Sohn et Duvinage, Dijon, Faton, 2012, p. 45. This elegant perfume box, signed by the Maison Tahan , is a rare example of their collaboration with an artist outside the company. Decorated with gilt-bronze ornaments and porcelain marquetry panels, this piece is a fine example of the new technique of inlaid porcelain that Julien-Nicolas Rivart patented in 1849. In this process, each piece of porcelain is used as true marquetry where each element is independent. Rivart 's patent allowed him to retain exclusivity on this type of work and he was obviously closely involved with the box's fabrication. Rivart won awards for his porcelain marquetry on several occasions at international exhibitions, as this technique was highly esteemed for its great naturalism in reproducing flowers. In this example, the roses that decorate the lid of the box are executed in a range of elegant pastel tones that depict each petal with great precision while conveying the fragile quality of the flowers. The use of green-tinted resin for the delicate stems adds to the refinement and realistic look of the bouquet of flowers. The four small panels decorating the side panels continue the floral theme, a favorite device used by Rivart . Pansies, lilacs and rose leaves cover the surface of the wood, painted in delicate, monochrome tones of white and mauve. This technique, patented by Rivart in 1849, was described as a "delicious process" and won immediate and unanimous praise for the charming quality of these decorations in porcelain marquetry, as well as for the originality of his technique. Rivart was critically acclaimed at the World's Fairs where he won several medals, thus leading him to further develop this type of ornamentation until his death, in 1867. For more than twenty years, Rivart was the only one to create works using this technique, a fact that explains the rarity of this type of production. There is no signature of the painted inlaid flowers; however, it is possible to attribute the work to Pierre-Joseph Guérou , a painter who worked at the Sèvres factory in 1847 and 1848 and whose signature appears on several pieces of furniture made by Rivart , such as the jewel cabinet at the Château de Compiègne. When looking at the delicacy and naturalism of porcelain marquetry, we too can experience the feelings described by the commentators at the International Exhibition when they enthusiastically wrote: "one cannot help but admire the graceful richness of these inlaid painted porcelain flowers" (Paris en 1855, journal de l'exposition générale…, May 27, 1855). The origins of the Maison Tahan go back to Belgium at the beginning of the 19th century when Pierre Lambert Tahan founded a workshop that produced small tabletry objects using wood from the resort town of Spa, the small village in the Ardennes. Pierre Lambert decided to leave Spa shortly before 1806 to set up shop in the Temple area of Paris. He worked there as a cabinetmaker and also produced nécessaire boxes. In 1825, Pierre Lambert and his son, Jean Pierre Alexandre, ran two factories producing these same types of wares. In 1844, Pierre Lambert Tahan retired and left the direction of the company to his son who would completely reorganize the business by separating the factory from the shop, located at number 32 rue de la Paix. A year later, he was already known as a "Supplier to the King and Princes". In 1855, he held the title of "Supplier to the Emperor" which allows us to date this perfume box to after that time. The Court gave him a great number of commissions for bookcases, tables, pedestal tables and nécessaires. Pierre Alexandre Tahan participated in the great international exhibitions of his time. It was at the International Exhibition of 1855, in Paris, that he showed an extraordinary aviary in walnut sculpted with leaves and birds in flight.

Ref.11549
A pair of ceramic panels with birds in a lacustrine scenery signed "J. ENGEL"

Important pair of ceramic panels with cloisonned enamels made in the second half of the 19th century. Birds, silver pheasants, butterflies and dragonflies spread out in a lake landscape with water lilies, cherry blossoms, peonies... Bright colors, with beautiful shades of pink and green, animate these panels whose decor is directly inspired by extreme-oriental works of art and vogue for Japanism ( Japonisme ). The cloisonned enamel technique on earthenware which consists of separating the different enamels by a line called "cerne", was invented by ceramist Eugène Collinot and patented by him in 1864. Proof of the success of the cloisonned enamels by Collinot, our panels that use this technique are signed on the back by "J. ENGEL, 31 & 33 rue de la Roquette in Paris".

Ref.11321
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906) - Large Japanese cabinet with Foo dog

This exceptional Foo dog cabinet is signed by Gabriel Viardot. Its asymmetrical construction is characteristic of the creations of the Parisian cabinetmaker. The composition alternates solid elements and empty spaces. The central door is decorated with a panel inlaid with ivory, tinted bone and wood composing a bouquet of flowers. This panel probably came from a Japanese furniture piece and was reused, a common practice by Gabriel Viardot, to make this piece. This was also the case for the element adorning the left panel. A frightening character, of a rare plastic quality, is produced in ivory and mother of pearl. The decorative element the most exceptional of this cabinet is a Fu dog crowning the piece. To the right of the piece, supported by a shelf, a crane resting on the back of a tortoise is also made in polished varnished bronze just like the sinuous dragon located in the lower part of the piece. One also finds small elements of latticed polished varnished bronze decorated in their center with a pinecone in this piece. These are, like the scrolled feet, elements frequently present on the pieces of Gabriel Viardot. Gabriel Viardot was a famous Parisian cabinetmaker specialized in the production of “Chinese-Japanese style” furniture in the last third of the 19th century. He 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.12677
Old wrought iron entrance door of a Napoleon III period mansion.

This old entrance door was made in the second half of the 19th century in wrought iron. It is composed of a lintel and a single leaf door. It presents an openwork decoration in repoussé iron sheet in Regency style composed of foliage partly inhabited by acanthus leaves. The frames were originally glazed but the glass is damaged and missing.

Ref.14402
Fireback featuring the coat of arms of Leopold I, Duke of Lorraine and Bar

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.