ATTRIBUTED TO GABRIEL VIARDOT, PARIS, LAST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Gabriel Viardot began his career in his father's workshop, succeeding him in 1861. From the 1870's forward, he created works in the genre chinois et japonais. Viardot exhibited and was decorated at the Expositions Universelles of 1867 (four medals), 1878 (silver medal) and 1889 (gold medal) and the jury lauded 'ses meubles japonais toujours fort interessants tant par leur tonalité que par leur parfaite expression'. Viardot created furniture ranging from bookcases to bedroom sets which drew on works from China, Japan and Vietnam among others. A cabinet by Viardot dating to 1888 is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Victoria and Albert Museum, Art and Design in Europe and America 1800-1900, New York 1987, pp. 134-135).