Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.16342

Maison DUVINAGE, Tray with crane of inlaid ivory

Ivory, gilded bronze, wood inlay.

This tray is entirely exceptional. Signed by Ferdinand Duvinage and by the Alphonse Giroux Maison, it is one of the rare testimonies of the inlaid ivory technique patented by the widow Mrs. Fredinand Duvinage in 1887, after the death of her husband.
An Invention Patent for “a mosaic combined with metallic partitioning for artistic and furniture objects” was made in the name of “Lady widow Ferninand Duvinage” on June 4 1877. The patent deed included a “descriptive Memoir” telling the following: “The new kind of mosaic which is the object of this request by Brevet is intended to enhance and decorate artistic furniture in general. It has an ivory foundation appliquéd by a collage or by a panel or a wooden base or other material; the pieces of ivory are separated by bands or metallic grooves, and the decorative subjects are birds, flowers, etc, produced by inlays or mother of pearl appliques or other materials of various nuances. One obtains through this triple combination of ivory, mother-of-pearl and decorative metal and partitioning, more attractive effects“.
The tray that we present here is thus completely representative of this luxurious production. Adorned with decorative elements produced in gilded bronze, this tray testifies to the rare quality of production, which places it at the height of Decorative arts in the second half of the 19th century.

This luxury production only lasted a few years, which allows us to precisely place it in time. Patented in 1877, this technique was used until 1885, when the Maison Alphonse Giroux closed.



The Duvinage Maison:

The store was founded by Alphonse Giroux in 1799, on rue du Coq-Saint-Honore, in the first district of Paris. Just until around 1870, Alphonse Giroux then his sons, Alphonse-Gustave and Andre, specialized in small objects of luxury goods and cabinet making. The Giroux thus proposed to sell the small curios, paintings and prints. The role of the Maison Giroux became closer to the activity of the great sewing merchants of the 18th century.

The arrival of Alphonse-Gustave in the management of the company gave a significant boost to the family business and elevated the Maison Giroux to the highest level of Parisian luxury businesses.

In 1868, Ferdinand Duvinage, cousin of Alphonse-Gustave, took over management of the business with Harinkouck. The latter is no longer mentioned after 1874. Thanks to Ferdinand Duvinage, the Maison Giroux took off again. The company was present at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1867, where it received a silver medal. In 1873, in Vienna it was awarded with two medals of merit.

However, Ferdinand Duvinage died between 1874 and 1877 leaving the management of the business to his wife, Rosalie. In 1877, she patented a technique of inlaying ivory. During a period of five to six years, this was used to decorate furniture and luxurious artworks with a Far-Eastern inspiration. At the time and still today, these rare works were considered as real masterpieces from the Japanism period in Decorative Arts. The first examples of this patented technique were presented at the World Exhibition in 1878 that took place in Paris.