Ref.15462
Joseph Chéret (1838 - 1894) for the Manufactory of Sèvres "Putto with greek masks" Coin tray made in faience with a blue glaze

This coin tray was made in blue glazed faience in the 19th century by the manufacture of Sèvres, after an artwork of Joseph Gustave Cheret (1838-1894). This sculpture represents a putto with two Greek comedy masks. The first one, sitting at its foot, is a woman's mask of a courtesan called 'pseudokoré'. The putto is holding the other one in his arms, it is the mask of a bearded man called 'pornoboskos'. The putto is partially covered with a drape. At his feet are severals musical instruments : a flute, some bells and a tambourine, with the signature 'Joseph Cheret Saw'. Another mark 'CH FICQUENET. - Sevres' is on the side. Cheret is an important sculptor of the 19th century. He was trained by the famous Carrier-Belleuse. This very gifted student eventually married one of the daughters of his mentor in 1868. From 1863 he regularly presented works in different Fairs and Exhibitions. We owe him the first salamander design, which he realized in collaboration with the Chaboche Company. This object is inspired by sculptures depicting putti or young satyrs having fun with Greek comedy masks. Very popular in the imperial Rome period, these images are experiencing a revival during the Renaissance and then in the 19th century during eclecticism. It is particularly representative of the 19th century taste, especially by its material: a blue glazed faience. At that time, ceramic techniques were very popular. This blue can be compared to 'Deck blue', used by Théodore Deck at the same time.

Ref.11313
Gabriel VIARDOT (1830-1906) - Japanese style shelf cabinet with mother of pearl decoration

Stamped "G. VIARDOT". This cabinet with shelves is signed by the Parisian cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot and has a rich japanese style decor: dragon, heron and turtle in bronze, inlaid ivory, bone and mother of pearl decorated with flowering branches. It opens with three doors and a drawer. It is surmounted by an important Foo dog in polished varnished bronze, which is one of Gabriel Viardot's trademarks. Its asymmetrical construction is characteristic of the creations of the Parisian cabinetmaker. The composition thus alternates solid elements and empty spaces. The central leaf is adorned with a carved and inlaid mother-of-pearl panel from Tonkin. The most outstanding decorative element of this cabinet is a Foo dog crowning the piece of furniture. To the right of the cabinet, supporting a tablet, a crane resting on the back of a turtle is also made out of polished varnished bronze as the sinuous dragon located in the lower part of the furniture. These are, just like the winding base, often present on the furnitures by Gabriel Viardot.

Ref.11651
SARREGUEMINES MANUFACTURE - Sandstone vase "Cathedral and coat of arms of Metz"

This vase, made in the late 19th century in salt sandstone called Lorraine sandstone, is signed by the manufacture of Sarreguemines. Its incised decor is enhanced with enamels. It refers to a dark period for the faience industry, the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and especially the loss of Alsace-Lorraine. We can presume that this prussian occupation is here represented by these menacing crows. Sarreguemines, town located less than 100 km from Metz, is annexed at the same time as all Alsace-Lorraine by Prussia in 1871. The leader of the manufacture, Alexander de Geiger, then leaves Sarreguemines and retires to Paris. Two new factories are then built in Digoin and Vitry-le-François. In 1877, the cathedral of Metz undergoes important damages: to celebrate the first coming of the emperor Guillaume Ier, the authorities had decided to set fire to the city by shooting fireworks from the roofs of the cathedral. A fire breaks out destroying the entire structure ... In view of this unprecedented historical context, there is no doubt that the iconography of this vase is an allegory of the Prussian oppressor in the form of crows. A similar model with variations in shades, from the collections of the Sarreguemines Museum, is presented in the book "La Faïencerie de Sarreguemines" by Alain Benedick, published by ABM.

Ref.15445
Gabriel VIARDOT, Japonist bed with a canopy and accompanying nightstand, second half of the 19th century

Nightstand : H. 81 cm / 31’’ 7/8 ; L. 59 cm / 23” 1/4 ; P. 38 cm / 14” 15/16 This set of a Japonist bed and nightstand was crafted by Gabriel Viardot in the second half of the 19th century. A talented wood sculptor, Gabriel Viardot opened a furniture workshop and store in Paris in 1853. In the 1870s, he decided to dedicate himself to “Chinese-Japanese style furniture”. He received prestigious awards at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris in 1878, 1889, and 1900, and won a gold medal at the International Exhibition in Antwerp in 1884. The foot of the bed features carved ornamentation in low and very low relief, inspired by Far Eastern art: on the left, a dragon moves across a geometric structure that extends beyond the frame in which it is inscribed, while on the right, a second frame houses a delicate mother-of-pearl marquetry depicting a sakura (cherry blossom) branch, accompanied by a bas-relief sculpture of a flowering branch mirroring the dragon. The contours display ornamentation characteristic of the artist: the feet are adorned with geometric scrolls, while the top mimics the shape of a cloud. The headboard is topped with two birds fluttering near a sakura branch, surmounted by cloud or smoke scrolls. On either side, there are panels inlaid with mother-of-pearl from the Far East. Four columns rise from the headboard, connected in pairs by an openwork design typical of Viardot’s style. On the left, a sakura branch seems to sprout from one of the two columns, first spreading between them, then into the central space, giving the piece a beautiful asymmetry. The canopy is also adorned with openwork motifs. The two top beams curve upwards at each end to evoke the roof of pagodas. At the front, another blossoming cherry branch harmoniously integrates into the central openwork design. The nightstand rests on four lion paws. It features asymmetrical open shelves reminiscent of Japanese “cha’dansu” (tea cabinets). One of these, covered with white marble on the inside, is closed by a lacquer panel, imported during that period to Europe. At the top, the small drawer, equipped with a decorative handle, displays an engraved bamboo leaf motif, while the sculpted tabletop is raised on one side and lowered on the other, a layout characteristic of the artist’s creations. The nightstand is also signed, a rare occurrence in Viardot’s work, indicating the exceptional care he took in crafting this piece. With this set, Gabriel Viardot follows one of the conventions of Japonism that developed in Europe from the 1870s: he adapts ornamentation inspired by Far Eastern art to an eminently European structure, as both the bed (especially when equipped with a canopy) and the nightstand are furniture pieces that do not exist in Far Eastern culture. One of the drawings found in Viardot’s archives depicts a canopy bed very similar to this one; the posts of the canopy and their ornamentation are quite similar, as is the overall shape of the bed, and much of the ornamentation shows numerous similarities.