Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-0

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-1

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-2

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-3

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-4

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-5

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-6

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-7

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-8

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-9

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-10

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass-11

Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.14906

Edmond Chauffrey, Indo-Chinese cabinet with mother-of-pearl marquetry and relief enamelled stained glass

Dimensions
Width 77'' ½  197cm
Height 119'' ¼  303cm
Depth: 26'' ¾  68cm

Status:
cabinet without key; three cracked stained-glass panels; keyed joints to be checked. Signature: “E. Chauffrey” visible on the central stained-glass panel.

Combining Far Eastern aesthetics and techniques with French craftsmanship, this 19th-century Indo-Chinese cabinet is a testimony to French taste for the blending of styles. As early as the reign of Louis XV, ornamanists were already creating Rocaille-style bases for antique Chinese porcelain vases. During the second half of the 19th century, the vogue for Japonisme encouraged cabinetmakers and decorators to combine ancient Asian elements with contemporary creations.

The undulating cornice of this cabinet echoes the architectural motifs of Asian temples, featuring at its center a dragon mask made from carved wood. The entire piece is richly decorated with mother-of-pearl marquetry, displaying a remarkable diversity of motifs: court scenes, soldiers, landscapes, vegetal elements, wild birds, and butterflies both rendered with great naturalism. The ensemble is of Indo-Chinese origin with the exception of the stained-glass panels signed by Edmond Chauffrey.

The Bordeaux-based master glassmaker began his career in 1856 at the famous Vieillard manufactory as a porcelain painter. In 1878, he founded the Chauffrey workshop and specialized in the production of decorative stained glass, catering primarily to the upper bourgeoisie of Bordeaux. Around 1885, when the renowned ceramicist Amédée de Caranza left his position as head of the Vieillard workshop, Edmond Chauffrey was entrusted with promoting Caranza’s relief enamel technique. He thus became the only one to make use of the Caranza process. This technique gives this Japonist stained glass decoration its distinctive presence. Inspired by Japanese prints, the vegetal motifs and butterflies retain their vivid colors, while the relief creates a striking contrast with the mother-of-pearl marquetry.

As a testament to the admiration inspired by his creations — such as this extremely refined cabinet — the jury of the Bordeaux Exhibition awarded the master glassmaker a gold medal in 1885. Upon Edmond Chauffrey’s death in 1926, his sons took over the workshop.