GABRIEL VIARDOT Fine and Rare Game Table with Marquetry Design France, 1880-1890

Medium: Stained beech, exotic wood inlay, dipped brass details Dimensions: 29.75 in high x 27.25 in wide x 23.75 in deep This desk from the late nineteenth century speaks to the time's obsession with the Far East. Just as China was being carved up and Japan was opening to the West, a style developed in the European decorative arts known as chinoiserie. Most popular in France, the style integrated luxuriant shapes thought to evoke the mysticism of classical Asian societies. Often these pieces featured motifs such as dragons or pagodas, images which were familiar to Europeans as hallmarks of Far Eastern culture. These particular pedestals integrate marble into the construction.