Gabriel Viardot Mirror

Rare mirror by Gabriel Viardot circa 1880 Moon mirror in Amboyna burl - set in the claws of a finely chiseled wooden dragon. Superb and rare large piece by the cabinetmaker. Gabriel Viardot began his career as a cabinetmaker in 1849. He quickly became known for making furniture that freely interpreted Far Eastern furniture and adapted it to European taste. We can speak of Asianism rather than Japonism: Viardot draws inspiration from all of Asia and essentially from Chinese art. His production is characterized by the presence of dragons, as here on the mirror. He does not just draw inspiration from the shapes of Asian furniture, but goes so far as to include panels imported from China and Japan in his furniture. Gabriel Viardot's creations were very successful: he won a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878, then the gold medal, one after the other, at the International Exhibition in Antwerp in 1884 and at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris in 1889 and 1900.