Twinkle, twinkle, Pierrefonds pottery

Twinkle, twinkle, Pierrefonds pottery I do love crystalline stoneware, so I was thrilled to find this exceptional Art Deco Pierrefonds pottery vase (available to buy here). The rotund shape gives it Art Deco gravitas, and the crystalline glaze is deep and scintillating. It’s a bit of a star turn, even by Pierrefonds standards. Few people use the…

A Bitossi Piume Multicolore vase by Aldo Londi

Aldo Londi Piume multicolore vase A Bitossi Piume Multicolore vase by Aldo Londi This Italian ovoid vase simply oozes style. Tall, sleek and elegant, decorated with stylised feathers, it’s the sort of vase that would cut a dash anywhere. Fans of vintage Italian ceramics will immediately recognise it as part of the Bitossi Piume Multicolore…

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French vintage designer scarves – new stock!

French vintage designer scarves – new in! Summer’s finally here, so I’ve been combining something I love – French vintage silk scarves – with something I loathe – ironing. I’ve been busy adding new stock from some of my favourite French designers, such as Jacques Fath, Jacques Heim, Balmain and Dior. Look out for Hermès…

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Jacques Sagan Vallauris, France

French Vallauris pottery has a long and illustrious history. But it was Picasso who revived the French pottery town, when he began working with the Madoura pottery in 1947. In the 1950s, a host of French ceramists flocked toto Vallauris to take part in the new creative wave. They included Jaques Sagan, the author of this large and sassy abstract vase, with double sided decor. Sagan came to Vallauris in 1952, the same year as Roger Capron set up

Roger Méquinion, Art Deco ceramist

Roger Méquinion,  Art Deco ceramist This splendid Art Deco charger by Roger Méquinion is a story in itself. It’s a fascinating example of the crossover between one medium (glass) and another (clay.) It’s also an example of the creativity that drove the Art Deco movement, a willingness to experiment and extend the boundaries of traditional…

divine style french antiques paris plumassier

A visit to a Paris plumassier

Who doesn’t love a hand-crafted object? From master glass-blowers to espadrille-makers, I’m always fascinated to watch craftsmen at work. From their hands, the French antiques of tomorrow. So when a top Paris plumassier held an open day in his atelier recently, of course, I couldn’t resist. A plumassier is someone who works with feathers –…

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Jean Gerbino and the Vallauris art of neriage

A late Art Deco mosaic vase by Jean Gerbino This large mosaic vase was made by the naturalised French ceramist, Jean Gerbino. With its stylish triangular handles, it has a whiff of Art Deco about it. That fits, since Gerbino produced this shape around 1940, though he continued making it into the next decade. Like…