Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.15340

Gabriel Viardot (attributed to), Japanese-style mirror in the shape of a crescent moon adorned with bronze dragons

This mirror takes the poetic form of a crescent moon, around which two bronze dragons with a brown and copper patina are entwined. At the top, a winged dragon displays a dorsal mane bristling with spikes and inclines its head towards the center, its open mouth revealing its teeth and a protruding eye. At the opposite end, a second dragon, more serpentine in form, responds, its scaly body following the edge of the mirror and ending in a plumed tail. The creatures' slender and muscular features, as well as their posture embracing the mirror, are recurring motifs in Gabriel Viardot's creations. This same ornamental language can be found on other mirrors by the artist, whether rectangular or crescent-shaped. The casting work delicately renders the details of the scales, clawed feet, and mane elements. The sinuous design of the two figures lends a particular dynamism to the piece and plays with the roundness of the crescent. The central mirror, beveled and made with period mercury, retains its original silvering. The back is made of a wooden board reinforced by metal fixing plates screwed onto the bronze elements.

A talented wood sculptor, Gabriel Viardot (1830-1906) founded the company "Viardot Frères" with his brother Louis-Gustave in 1853. In 1860, he established his own business on rue du Grand-Chantier in Paris. The vogue for Japonisme at the 1867 Universal Exposition led him to dedicate himself to Sino-Japanese style furniture. His original creations were a great success and the cabinetmaker obtained prestigious awards from the 1870s onwards: a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1878, then gold medals at the International Exhibition of Antwerp in 1884 and at the Universal Exhibitions of Paris in 1889 and 1900.