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Premium Médicis Enchères - Hôtel des Ventes Lyon
234
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MAISON DUVINAGE and MAISON ALPHONSE GIROUX.
See original version (French)
234
-
MAISON DUVINAGE and MAISON ALPHONSE GIROUX.
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
MAISON DUVINAGE and MAISON ALPHONSE GIROUX.
A rare table mirror in the shape of an unfurled fan, crafted from precious wood marquetry and metal on an ivory background; the body is crowned with a gilded bronze rosette motif and rests on a carved, hinged stand that holds a bevelled mirror.
Rich marquetry decoration covers dark-coloured panels with plant motifs and acanthus scrolls in the upper section; the plumes are enlivened by cascading foliage with berries, the one on the right featuring an MB monogram, the sprigs adorned with a bird with outstretched wings on a mound, chasing a dragonfly against a background of flowering stems and berries.
Signed ‘FD Bté’ within the decoration; the stand signed ‘Mon Alph Giroux Paris’.
Circa 1870–1880.
Cracks, minor imperfections, a screw fitted to the back, pitted tin.
32 x 56 x 3 cm.
CIC FR2607508633-K dated 31 July 2026 authorising free movement within the European Union.
In 1867, Pierre-Ferdinand Duvinage took over the Giroux firm, founded in 1799 and renowned for the excellence of its work.
His widow succeeded him in 1876 and continued to uphold her husband’s craftsmanship, notably the cloisonné ivory technique for which he had filed a patent in 1874, described as “the combined use of ivory as a background, stained or exotic wood for the designs or ornaments, and copper or another metal to partition the ivory fragments’”.
In keeping with the fashion of the time, the House of Duvinage distinguished itself with a range of Japanese-inspired pieces, of which our fan is the perfect embodiment: first and foremost, of course, the shape, then the decoration, with this dragonfly and this exotic bird; and above all, the technique and materials, with the ingenious use of metal partitions forming the very ribs of the fan, set against a dark ivory background – a material that could not be more Far Eastern… In the pursuit of total art, substance meets form to create a work of art that subtly blends foreign influences with Western technical expertise.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Lot description modified on 08/24/2026 at 2:49 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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