Cabinet
1888 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Gabriel Viardot adapted many east Asian decorative elements for his furniture designs and became famous for making pieces in the Chinese and Japanese styles. His ideas were fuelled by French colonial and trading links with the Far East and a strong demand in France for goods from Asia. His pieces, although eastern in overall style, were recognisably European in origin.
The rectangularity of this cabinet and the decoration on the doors are inspired by Japanese examples, whereas the form and carving of the legs, including the gilt-bronze dragon mask, are based closely on 19th-century furniture imported from China and Vietnam. The cabinet bears Viardot's signature and the date 1888, marking it as one of his later productions. In 1889 he won a gold medal for his furniture at the Paris International Exhibition, following the award of a silver medal in 1878 and four medals in 1867.
The rectangularity of this cabinet and the decoration on the doors are inspired by Japanese examples, whereas the form and carving of the legs, including the gilt-bronze dragon mask, are based closely on 19th-century furniture imported from China and Vietnam. The cabinet bears Viardot's signature and the date 1888, marking it as one of his later productions. In 1889 he won a gold medal for his furniture at the Paris International Exhibition, following the award of a silver medal in 1878 and four medals in 1867.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Walnut cabinet, 1888, French, by Gabriel Viardot |
| Physical description | Carved walnut cabinet with moulded and incised decoration and gilt-bronze mounts. The cabinet has a cupboard with two doors above an open shelf. Its sides are decorated with incised ornamentation of asymmetrical foliate panels, and the cupboard doors are carved with cherry blossoms and reeds with sections of geometric strapwork. The top of the cabinet emulates a roof with a crouching bronze dragon emerging from the centre. The legs have claw feet, stepped knees with incised geometric decoration and gilt bronze Chinese lion masks on the knees, and are joined by quadrant shaped flat stretchers to a rectangular shelf, with a border of open geometrical strapwork. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Inscribed (on the interior frame of the left door) 'G Viardot' (in incised handwriting), 'Paris 1888' (in incised printing). |
| Gallery label |
|
| Summary | Gabriel Viardot adapted many east Asian decorative elements for his furniture designs and became famous for making pieces in the Chinese and Japanese styles. His ideas were fuelled by French colonial and trading links with the Far East and a strong demand in France for goods from Asia. His pieces, although eastern in overall style, were recognisably European in origin. The rectangularity of this cabinet and the decoration on the doors are inspired by Japanese examples, whereas the form and carving of the legs, including the gilt-bronze dragon mask, are based closely on 19th-century furniture imported from China and Vietnam. The cabinet bears Viardot's signature and the date 1888, marking it as one of his later productions. In 1889 he won a gold medal for his furniture at the Paris International Exhibition, following the award of a silver medal in 1878 and four medals in 1867. |
| Bibliographic reference | Art & Design in Europe and America 1800-1900. Introduction by Simon Jervis (London: The Herbert Press, 1987), pp. 134-5. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.17:1, 2-1971 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | May 30, 2001 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
