Various woods, copper alloy (est. brass), and elephant ivory on a wood panel with a gilded copper alloy frame

1874-1876

Rosalie-Eléonore-Antoinette Duvinage, Maison Alphonse Giroux 

Maker

Philadelphia Museum of Art

This framed panel depicts a bird-of-paradise on a maple branch surrounded by other flora. The panel is made of engraved copper alloy, various woods, and elephant ivory glued on a wooden panel. The different shades of wood define highlights and shadows of the bird and leaves. 

​

The manufacturer, Maison Giroux, was established in the late 1790s as an art supply store, but eventually became an important Parisian retailer of luxury goods. Rosalie-Eléonore-Antoinette transformed Maison Giroux when she filed a patent for a new decorative technique in 1877. Maison Giroux produced numerous objects featuring this decorative technique including clocks, trays, and furniture. The composition and design of these objects served to fulfill a consumer interest in the arts of East Asia.

​

This object was on display in the 19th century gallery "Complex Encounters" which brought together European artworks with those from China and Japan in order to bring attention to the translations that took place between these cultures.