A little history of the French designer silk scarf
Nothing says French chic more than a silk scarf. This month, we dive into the frivolous, floaty, feminine world of the vintage French designer square.
Portrait of a French antique hunter: Maurice Ravel
Portrait of a French antique hunter : Maurice Ravel
A glimpse into the private world of Maurice Ravel, composer and collector extraordinaire
Discovering Jacques Pouchain pottery, Atelier Dieulefit
Close-up on Jacques Pouchain, Atelier Dieulefit Buy now This month, the spotlight is on mid century French ceramist, Jacques Pouchain (1925-2015). His pottery could be functional and abstract, figurative and playful – but it was always modern. And so it feels, still, especially pieces from his personal production of the 1960s and 1970s. This tall…
Robj Paris – a true taste of Art Deco
We recently acquired this quirky quartet of Art Deco liquor bottles by Robj Paris – they’re available to buy here. But who or what was Robj? Time to revisit the story behind these whimsical objects from the Jazz Age…
Why pottery lovers can’t resist La Puisaye
Why pottery lovers can’t resist La Puisaye This summer, we went pottering in a town famous for a 500-year-old stoneware tradition – and for sparking off a French ceramics revival. Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye is one of those beguiling Burgundy towns surrounded by rolling countryside, where chateaux pop up over every hedgerow. Oh, and it also this rather…
How the SAM shaped French design
The Salon des Arts Ménagers – SAM for short – was France’s own “Ideal Homes” Exhibition. From 1926 to 1983, with a gap during WWII, it influenced popular French home design and aspirations like no other event.
Pierre d’Avesn: designs on Art Deco
Pierre D’Avesn: designs on Art Deco Les Mouettes vase c1925 by P. D’Avesn, available to buy In an Art Deco world, all seagulls would be elongated and elegant, like the ones that cruise around this vase by Pierre d’Avesn (1901-1984). It was made around 1926-1930, when D’Avesn was working as an independent designer. Unlike René…
How Verceram is making a comeback in hip French homes
The French pottery Verceram perfectly captured mid century style in France. With its bold contrasts and groovy shapes, it might have come from another universe. When the company closed in 1971, it left behind an amazing legacy of mid century designs… and some questions.
Two early 20thc French potters: Jean Pointu and Léon Pointu
It’s spring, and here are the tulips to prove it, modelling a trio of pots by a duo of potters: Jean and Léon Pointu. Welcome to a world of refined shapes and gorgeous glazes.
At home with Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat
At home with Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat In the spotlight this month is Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat, who created this large crystalline stoneware vase. Dalpayrat (1844-1910) is an important French ceramist, whose brief but brilliant adventure in glazed stoneware helped bring about a revival in European ceramics. So when I discovered his house outside Paris is now a museum,…