Cabinet-maker (1830-1906)

« Japonisme » Writing-Table

France
Circa 1880

Alder, Gilded bronze, Griotte Marble

Height : 84 cm (33 in.) ; Width : 77 cm (30,3 in.) ; Depth : 45,5 cm (17,9 in.)

Beautiful Japonisme writing table in tinted and carved alder, opening with a belt drawer with engraved decoration of bamboo and flowers and decorated with openwork leafy friezes in bronze, forming a writing tablet covered in velvet.
It rests on four feet mounted at the corners of lion masks in gilded bronze and joined by an openwork spacer, and ending in lion paws. It is topped with a molded Griotte marble.

Biography

Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906) career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to inovate. G. Viardot succeded to his father’s business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects was well established. But Viardot early designed his own models enriched with ivory, mother-of-pearl and beautiful gilt-bronze mounts. After having won four medals at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, Viardot was awarded a silver medal at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris. He was also awarded gold medals several times : Universal Exhibitions in Anvers (Belgium) in 1884, and again in Paris in 1889 and 1900. A contemporary commentator notes that he had a workshop employing approximately 100 men, both sculptors and cabinet-makers with another 25 to 30 outside contract workers. « l’Escalier de Cristal », the famous Parisian offering luxuruous furniture got the exclusivity to use their own stamp on six Viardot’s furniture models.

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Designer & Art Object-Editor
(attributed to)

Japanese style Clock with Openwork Decoration 

France
Circa 1885

 Double patina Bronze, Enamel

Height : 42,5 cm (16,7 in.) ; Width : 27 cm (10,6 in.) ; Depth : 15,5 cm (6,1 in.)

Rare Japanese clock in double patina bronze with suspended dial.

The portico and dial, with calligraphic Kanji numerals complemented by hands featuring an undulating dragon, are decorated with clouds with dragon heads and sacred pearls.

The whole is set on a base with four scrolled feet, enriched with foliage and adorned with an elephant’s head.

Related Work

Our hanging dial clock is a variation on the Tam-Tam clock designed in Henry Pannier’s blue notebook and described as “Pendule Tam Tam pâte tendre flambeaux 3 lumières (Schlomach)”.

Biography

“L’Escalier de Cristal”, an old and famous Parisian firm, specialized in glass products and ceramics but also suggested furniture and bronze sculptures. It was led from 1885 to 1923 by Emile Pannier’s sons, who gave the name of Pannier Frères to the society, located at the corner of Scribe street and Auber street, next to the new built Paris Opera house. Their Japanese style creations were among many others much appreciated by the critics and the public. They were awarded many medals at various exhibitions, such as the Gold medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition.

Lots of artists participated in that world success, such as Emile Gallé, who gave to Pannier Frères the exclusive rights of some of his models, or François-Eugène Rousseau, who designed many vases and gave the model of his successful Japanese style dining-set as well. This set was made by the Creil et Montereau Manufacture. In the Japanese style furniture branch, many famous makers such as Majorelle from Nancy, Edouard Lièvre or Gabriel Viardot worked for Pannier Frères. Some pieces are to be seen in the greatest museums: the Ermitage in Saint-Petersburg, the Orsay Museum in Paris, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.

“L’Escalier de Cristal” was sometimes the exclusive owner of the models and then those pieces were just signed by “L’Escalier de Cristal” or sometimes beside the artist signature. But “L’Escalier de Cristal” was also very creative, completing pieces with superb, gilded bronzes, glass or enameled panels and often including authentic Japanese or Chinese elements.

Bibliography

• – L’Escalier de Cristal, Le luxe à Paris 1809-1923, p.241, Annick et Didier Masseau, Editions Monnelle Hayot, 2021

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Cabinet-maker (1830-1906)
(attributed to)

Japanese style Cylinder Desk

France
Circa 1880

Tinted alder, Mother-of-pearl, Gilded bronze

Height : 137 cm (53,9 in.) ; Width : 134 cm (52,7 in.) ; Depth : 74 cm (29,1 in.)

Rare Japanese style cylinder desk in tinted and carved alder, richly engraved on all sides with foliage, cherry branches and geometric interlacing.  Surmounted by two asymmetrical shelves, the cylinder is decorated with an engraved dragon. Opening this cylinder reveals many compartments with adjustable dimensions, a drawer with engraved decoration and letter storage. The cylinder sides can open laterally, allowing a larger area for working and writing.
The lower part of the desk is formed on the left by five superimposed drawers decorated with geometric interlacing and carved branches, as well as Japanese characters, deer and mother-of-pearl foliage. On the right, there is a drawer and a door decorated with carved leaves and mother-of-pearl interlacing, revealing four drawers forming compartments.
An ingenious mechanism makes it possible, when the cylinder is closed with a key, to completely lock the desk.

Biography

Gabriel Viardot career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to innovate. G. Viardot succeeded to his father’s business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects was well established. But Viardot early designed his own models enriched with ivory, mother-of-pearl and beautiful gilt-bronze mounts. After having won four medals at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, Viardot was awarded a silver medal at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris. He was also awarded gold medals several times : Universal Exhibitions in Anvers (Belgium) in 1884, and again in Paris in 1889 and 1900. A contemporary commentator notes that he had a workshop employing approximately 100 men, both sculptors and cabinet-makers with another 25 to 30 outside contract workers. « l’Escalier de Cristal », the famous Parisian offering luxurious furniture got the exclusivity to use their own stamp on six Viardot’s furniture models.

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Cabinet-maker
(1830-1906)
(attributed to)

Pair of Aesthetic Movement armchairs

France
Circa 1880

Height : 102 cm (40 in.) ; Width : 67 cm (25,2 in.) ; Depth : 55 cm (21,6 in.)

These armchairs made of tinted alder are to be linked to another pair of armchairs executed by Gabriel Viardot, and now exhibited at the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris (Inv. 2006.105.1.2). They present a similar asymmetric design and an equal carving quality including the winding dragon on the back.

Biography

Gabriel Viardot career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to innovate. G. Viardot succeeded to his father’s business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects was well established. But Viardot early designed his own models enriched with ivory, mother-of-pearl and beautiful gilt-bronze mounts. After having won four medals at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, Viardot was awarded a silver medal at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris. He was also awarded gold medals several times : Universal Exhibitions in Anvers (Belgium) in 1884, and again in Paris in 1889 and 1900. A contemporary commentator notes that he had a workshop employing approximately 100 men, both sculptors and cabinet-makers with another 25 to 30 outside contract workers. « l’Escalier de Cristal », the famous Parisian offering luxurious furniture got the exclusivity to use their own stamp on six Viardot’s furniture models.

Works in connection

• Victoria and Albert Museum, London : A Japanese style walnut carved cabinet, 1888

• Corning Museum of Glass, New York : Set of shelves, edited by « l’Escalier de Cristal » about 1895

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Cabinet-maker
(1830-1906)
(attributed to)

An Aesthetic Movement jardiniere

France
Circa 1880

Height : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Width : 138 cm (54,3 in.) ; Depth : 37 cm (14,5 in.)

A large Japanese style boat-shaped jardiniere, made in carved stained alderwood, ornated with panels decorated with Japanese blossoming cherry tree branches and a trophy of musical instruments.

Biography

Gabriel Viardot career began as a wood carver and he produced small furniture, sculpturally carved with naturalistic motifs and animals. In the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, his finely sculpted objects were well received. However, with the increasing importation of similarly produced Swiss and German articles, he found less opportunity for these and decided to innovate. G. Viardot succeeded to his father’s business in 1861 installed rue Rambuteau in Paris. Around 1870 he turned to the idea of producing « Meubles genre Chinois et Japonais ». The taste in Europe for exotic furniture, incorporating sometimes authentic Chinese or Japanese objects was well established. But Viardot early designed his own models enriched with ivory, mother-of-pearl and beautiful gilt-bronze mounts. After having won four medals at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867, Viardot was awarded a silver medal at the 1878 Universal Exhibition in Paris. He was also awarded gold medals several times : Universal Exhibitions in Anvers (Belgium) in 1884, and again in Paris in 1889 and 1900. A contemporary commentator notes that he had a workshop employing approximately 100 men, both sculptors and cabinet-makers with another 25 to 30 outside contract workers. « l’Escalier de Cristal », the famous Parisian offering luxurious furniture got the exclusivity to use their own stamp on six Viardot’s furniture models.

The post G. Viardot<br/>Aesthetic Movement jardiniere appeared first on Tobogan Antiques.