Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.13909

Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1909), Japanese-style bedroom furniture set

A talented wood sculptor, Gabriel Viardot opened a furniture factory and shop in Paris in 1853. In the 1870s, he decided to dedicate himself to Japonisme furniture. Participating in the numerous exhibitions that marked the art scene of the second half of the 19th century, his contributions were met with great success. He won a silver medal at the Universal Exhibitions of 1878, 1885, and 1889, and then a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1900.

This furniture is very similar to a set dated 1887 by Céline Béral (see archive photographs (1)). If it is indeed the same set, this would prove that it has been kept together since its creation nearly 150 years ago. This would be highly unusual. This furniture shows characteristics typical of Viardot's work: asymmetrical shelf design, pagoda profiles, tabletops with inverted curves at the ends, and so on. The wardrobe and bed are exceptional for their imposing dimensions. Standing 2.18 meters tall, the sycamore wardrobe features a pagoda profile and remarkable mother-of-pearl and ivory decoration depicting genre scenes within a sculpted background that blends cherry blossom branches, maple leaves, and engraved butterflies. The footboard is decorated with exceptional flowers carved in a particularly fluid and naturalistic style. At the center of a meandering "T" motif, a menacing dragon's head emerges. An openwork pagoda profile surmounts a floral garland on the headboard, while the corners take on the appearance of Japanese-style bollards adorned with scrolling foliage. The dressing table's cabriole legs feature gilt-bronze decorations, and it retains its mirror, adorned at the top with a flowering cherry branch.

In 1887, the year our set was made, the Revue des Arts Décoratifs reported on the pieces presented by Gabriel Viardot at the Exhibition of the Union Central des Arts Décoratifs, among which were mentioned "a very picturesque sideboard, a fantastic bed whose form and details seem to have been designed by an artist from the Middle Kingdom [...]". Given the lack of certainty regarding the pieces exhibited, it is reasonable to wonder why our pieces, signed and dated 1887, were photographed and whether they held particular value. Are these, at least in part, the items exhibited in 1887?