Gabriel Viardot was a Parisian cabinetmaker born in 1830. He began learning the cabinetmaking trade at a young age, working alongside his father in the family workshop. Gabriel quickly showed exceptional talent for working with wood, as well as a refined taste for design.

He opened his own workshop at the age of 25 and quickly gained a reputation for his elegant and innovative furniture. His pieces were often decorated with floral motifs and complex sculptures, which set them apart from the more conventional furniture of the time.

Gabriel Viardot worked with many prestigious clients, including members of the French nobility and celebrities of the time. His creations were celebrated at the Universal Expositions from 1867 to 1900, where the jury praised "his Japanese furniture, always very interesting both in tone and in perfect execution."

Over the years, Gabriel Viardot continued to innovate, integrating bronze ornaments, mother-of-pearl and ivory inlays into his production, as well as repeating certain motifs: dragons, turtles, lattice-work, Fô dog heads, Japanese plants... Taking advantage of his contemporaries' interest in the Land of the Rising Sun, Gabriel Viardot, trained in wood sculpture, became a major figure in the new "Chinese-Japanese" genre.

Gabriel Viardot continued to work until an advanced age, but passed away in 1904 at the age of 74. His work has left an indelible mark on the history of French art and cabinetmaking, and his pieces are now sought after by collectors around the world.