Marquetry Table by Émile Gallé with a Stunning “Apple Blossom” Design

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.