Clock Signed

A gilded bronze Louis XVI-style clock signed by Alphonse Giroux & Cie in Paris in the 19th century.The movement case, topped by a pair of ribbon-adorned doves, rests on a base decorated with ears of wheat and a basket of fruit, accented by a wide, delicately chiseled foliage frieze.White enamel dial signed “Alphonse Giroux & Cie in Paris,” displaying hours in Roman numerals and minutes in Arabic numerals. Original mercury gilding with a double patina. (Some wear, particularly on the movement case.)Original movement, numbered 2789, operating with its key. (The balance wheel and bezels are also numbered; see photo)

Alphonse Giroux et Cie, dealer and manufacturer of tabletop items and cabinetry, Paris. Store founded around 1799 by François-Simon Alphonse Giroux (Paris, 1776–1848) at 7 Rue du Coq-Saint-Honoré in Paris: selling novelty items and stationery, as well as daguerreotype supplies, and later, from 1834 onward, cabinetry under the name Alphonse Giroux. Taken over in 1838 by his sons Alphonse Gustave (Paris, 1809–1886) and André (Paris, 1801–1879) under the business name Alphonse Giroux et Cie. Moved in 1857 to 43 Boulevard des Capucines. Sold in 1867 to Duvinage and Harinbouck, and managed from 1870 onward by Ferdinand Duvinage alone, then by his widow from 1874 to 1882, and finally by A. Philippe and E. Arnut from 1883 to 1884. The original Giroux firm ceased operations in 1885.