Ref.03172
A monumental Display Cabinet coming from an exceptional furniture set realized by Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim for the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice, Italy

This monumental display cabinet is composed of three windows, designed to exhibit fine china and other sophisticated crockery, a custom revealed by the period photographs. The high society of the time collects objects of art and priceless tableware, and enjoys to show them to the guests while preserving them in this precious and imposing case. A true ceremonial piece, this opulent dresser was arranged in the reception hall that once was the Salone delle Quattro Porte in Palazzo Papadopoli . The smaller surface of this piece is pretext for an abundance of carvings that confirm the prestigious nature of it. The numerous sculptures are the work of an extremely skilled sculptor. The vertical uprights are decorated with images of old sheathed bearded men. The sheath is the support for a foliage frieze that ends with a scroll. The protruding cornice rests on corbels, representing a vocabulary of ornamental architecture. It supports four vases with lids and an armorial pediment flanked by two griffins and crowned with a cardinal's hat: it is a hat with a flat, wide-brimmed shape and from which hang large silk cords. Between the cornice and the window, a carved frieze of festoons alternates with monsters. Shells are arranged above the festoons. The extreme quality of the sculpture and the much-sought decor is indicative of the work of an exceptional sculptor, whose mastery was unrivaled. The coat of arms on this dresser is the Aldobrandini's, whose most famous member was Pope Clement VIII, between 1592 and 1605. Having his nephews quickly appointed cardinal in order to enlarge the Aldobrandini's power, we owe this very Pope the concept of « nepotism », « nepote » being the Italian for nephew. The Aldobrandini, from Florence, increased their wealth during the Middle Ages and adopted the coat of arms azure per bend embattled or and six stars or. Since 16th century it is framed with the cardinals symbols, just like it is on this amazing dresser : a broad brimmed hat with tassels, the galero. Agostino Caracci, brother of considerable Anibal Caracci, designs this exact coat of arms for the cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini. The Aldobrandini heraldy is sculped on many Italian buildings, it is for example carved with the galero in the Aldobrandini Chapel of Ravenna's Duomo. Used by Clement VIII, it is often seen with the papal keys, like in Santa Maria Maggiore where his gravestone was designed by the illustrious sculptor Bernino, and on the coins minted with his blazon. An Aldobrandini descent from his mother Maria Maddalena, Nicolo Aldobrandini-Papadopoli wished to preserve the memory of this lineage in the Palazzo Papadopoli decoration.

Ref.03168
The seats coming from an exceptional furniture set realized by Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim for the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice, Italy

Two armchairs and four chairs in carved walnut wood. This set is coming from the Palazzo Papadopoli, Venice, Italy, "Salone delle Quattro Porte" which was totally refurnished between 1874 and 1881 by Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim . The armchairs and the chairs of this set are produced in the same way with the difference that the armchairs are fitted with sculpted armrests. The base is made of four legs resting on round feet. The two front feet are tapered and fluted in their middle part, similar to columns. The architectural language here adopts an ornamental theme. The two back legs are from a square section. The feet are connected to each other by a spacer in the shape of an H, decorated in its center with an image of acanthus leaves. The frame of the seat is carved from a frieze of small flowers taking place in flowery containers. The main surface is decorated with a plant motif hanging from this frame. In the center of this motif is a crown of a duke. The uprights of the back are represented in an identical manner on all the chairs. The upper part shows the busts of sheathed women carved in very high relief and ending with an acanthus leaf. They rest on a console which again depicts the crown of the duke.The handles of the two chairs are a beautiful work of sculpture, notably through the back attachment where a winding acanthus leaf is represented. The grips protrude from the arms and show the heads women with extravagantly made up hair.

Ref.10697
Julien-Nicolas RIVART (1802-1867) - Sewing table decorated of white and purple campanulas in porcelain marquetry

This elegant sewing table is decorated of flowers in porcelain inlays by Julien-Nicolas Rivart . The latter is the inventor of the porcelain marquetry technique, a unique process, searched for a long time and patented in 1849, he was the only one to master. We have here a graceful example of these rare decorations, with a bouquet of campanulas on a burl wood background, framed by a mahogany lace.

Ref.10718
Julien-Nicolas RIVART (1802-1867) - Louis XV style Rosewood Table with decor of porcelain marquetry

Bibliography : Marc Maison and Emmanuelle Arnauld, Masterpieces of Marquetry in the 19th Century. Patents. Rivart, Cremer, Fourdinois, Kayser Sohn and Duvinage, Dijon, Faton, 2012, p. 5 and 46. Characteristic of Julien-Nicolas Rivart 's production, this Louis XV style table is adorned with inlays of porcelain flowers, a technique he patented in 1849. Inspired by both porcelain slabs inserted in wood panels, into fashion in the 18th century, as well as Florentine mosaics in hard stone, Julien-Nicolas Rivart succeeded to develop an original technique, totally renewing the use of porcelain by inlaying it like a true marquetry, where each element is independent. The naturalism of peonies flush on the wood surface gives this piece of furniture a great elegance, demonstrating all the skill of the artist, who resorts to a virtuoso technique of ornamentation, of extremely delicate implementation. The finest foliage, made of dyed resin, ensures an elegant connection between the different pieces of porcelain. Rivart 's favorite theme, the floral motifs can be seen on other tables, notably that purchased in 1861 by the Count of Manneville on the occasion of his wedding and preserved today at the Cité de la Ceramique of Sèvres. Like our table, it is decorated with a garland of flowers, shut by a bronze border running all the way along the shelf. The painting of the inlaid flowers is not signed; we can however attribute it to Pierre-Joseph Guérou , painter of the Manufacture de porcelaine de Sèvres in 1847 and 1848 whose signature appears on several pieces of furniture by Rivart , like the Jewel case of the Empress Eugénie at the Château de Compiègne. A specialist in porcelain flower paintings, he also participated several times at the Salon between 1836 and 1866. The treatment of the petals in pink and white shades is characteristic of his style, which is easily recognizable. Much appreciated by the critics for the charm of its porcelain marquetry, the Rivart technique was noticed at the World's Fairs he attended in 1851, 1855 and 1867. It is called a "delicious process", "still more beautiful than the beautiful", and is the subject of praiseworthy comments from the Emperor Napoleon III.

Ref.03332
Beautiful antique carved walnut wood dining room set by the french cabinetmaker Paul Mazaroz

This Neo-Renaissance style dining room set, stamped by Paul Mazaroz, is made up of fifteen pieces including: - A large dresser with beveled glass doors and putti decoration. H. 303 cm; W. 201 cm; D. 60 cm (119 x 79 x 23.5 in). - An oval-shaped table with putti riding dolphins. L. 145 cm; W. 123 cm; H. 73 cm (57 x 48.4 x 28.7 in) and five 50 cm-large extensions. The initials “EF” at the center of the table are made of Thin dark Belgium black marble marquetry, malachite, lapis lazuli, red antic marble, and Sienna yellow marble. - A serving table. H. 95 cm; W. 97 cm; D. 50 cm (37.4 x 38.2 x 19.7 in). - Twelve chairs without padding. The furniture is made of walnut with bronze ornaments. The Bacchus medallion on the dresser is gold-plated. Signature of Ferdinand Barbedienne on the bronzes.

Ref.11153
Small serving table in the taste of Gabriel Viardot

The top, bordered by asymmetrical windings, and the shelves are decorated with panels decorated with enamelled flowers and birds on a pink background. It opens to a belt drawer, partially animated by a gallery openworked with Chinese motifs. Feet carved in lion's feet, joined by asymmetrical shelves.

Ref.12794
Japanese stand made of blackened wood, late 19th century

This high Japanese stand is a French work from the late 19th century made of blackened wood. The base with four feet is adorned with open worked motifs inspired by the Far-East iconography. The long rod which leaves from the base has on top the same sculpted motifs and a small rectangular shelf.

Ref.11379
Gabriel Viardot (attributed to) - Japanese style bed with mother-of-pearl marquetery

This bed was made of tainted sycamore in the late 19th century in the taste of Gabriel Viardot or Maison des Bambous production. The bed is surmounted by a canopy with sculpted japanese motifs of which one of the mount in adorned with a coiled cherry tree branch. the headboard shows a sculpted decoration of bird in a flowered branched surrounding and mother-of-pearl motifs of flowers and foliages. The foodboard shows a cared decoration of plants and clouds, a dragon in relief and mother-of-pearl and bone marquetery.

Ref.13946
A pedestal table with a very rare enamel decoration from the Rubelles faience factory

Our rosewood veneered pedestal table, with a top decorated with shading enamels of a beautiful deep green, is a truly exceptional piece. Made between 1842 and 1844, this enamel decoration is the work of the artistic earthenware factory of Rubelles, near Fontainebleau. Possibly withdrawn from the Exhibition of Commerce and Industrial Products in 1844, our pedestal table is the only example known to date. At the end of the 19th century, his creations were highly prized by connoisseurs who competed for them “at a high price”. They were compared to the most beautiful English porcelain. Very rare, this decoration is made of lithophanic earthenware, a technique developed by Baron de Bourgoing in association with Alexis du Tremblay, owner of the Château de Rubelles. Directors of the Rubelles Manufacture, the two partners exploited this original process for around fifteen years. It allows you to obtain transparency effects in porcelain. The drawings are rendered in gradients, from opaque shadows to very translucent lights.

Ref.11261
Gabriel VIARDOT (attributed to), Japanese furniture with mother-of-pearl inlaid panels, late 19th century

This Japanese-style piece of furniture is perfectly in keeping with the work of cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot at the end of the 19th century. A talented woodcarver, Gabriel Viardot opened a furniture factory and shop in Paris in 1853. In the 1870s, he decided to devote himself to “Chinese-Japanese furniture”, of which this piece is a fine example. In the lower section, the doors incorporate two imported panels with mother-of-pearl inlays, depicting Sakura and butterflies, symbols of eternity in Far Eastern cultures. The back of the open central section is adorned with a refined bas-relief depicting a tree branch in bloom and a bird in flight. At the top, the asymmetry of the shelves is reminiscent of Japanese cha’dansu (or tea cabinets); some are closed with a mother-of-pearl inlaid panel. The crowning, typical of the artist, takes the shape of a pagoda roof and houses a menacing-looking dragon. The many carved and mother-of-pearl-inlaid details scattered across the surface of the piece reveal the finesse of Viardot’s work. Another piece of furniture, a drawing of which is preserved in the artist’s archives, has a very similar crowning.