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Émile Gallé "Apple Blossom" Marquetry Table
$4,500
The marquetry on this exquisite Émile Gallé Apple Blossom Table features a branch of apple blossom against a serene horizon. Depictions of branches against gradient backgrounds were typified by Japanese and Chinese bird and flower prints and paintings. Instead of the classic Asian plum blossom or cherry blossom, Gallé chose the quintessentially French apple blossom, depicted by French artists such as Camille Pissarro and Monet. French cider apple orchards were largely located in Normandy, Brittany, and the north of the Loire River. The legs of the table were based on the stems of the Giant Hogweed.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: YF-21647
Artist: Émile Gallé
Country: France
Circa: 1900's
Dimensions: 21.5" height, 18.5" width, 21.5" depth.
Materials: Walnut and Fruitwood Marquetry
Signed: Gallé
The beginning of Galle’s fascination with Japanese art can be traced back to his friendship with Hokkai Takashima (1850-1931). Hokkai was a Japanese nobleman, sent by the government to study in Galle’s hometown. Upon his departure, Hokkai left Galle a copy of the influential book “Kusa Bana Hyakushu (One Hundred Varieties of Flowers).” The book of woodblock prints contained a page on the Japanese Crab apple. The fluid and dynamic lines of Kono Bairei and the detailed articulation of its petals can be clearly seen reflected in Galle’s version.