Charles Schneider glass – modern luxury for the 20th century In the 1970s, you could pick up sublime Charles Schneider glass for a song in the fleamarkets of Paris. But that was then, when collectors had eyes only for Gallé and Lalique. Nowadays, Charles Schneider’s reputation has been restored, as one of the most innovative…
A miniature 1940s Paris Metro newsstand aperitif set Time stands still at this Paris Metro newsstand, a very rare novelty drinks marker from the late 1940s, available to buy here. Some Metro lines are missing from the map. Others stop short of their destination. As for the wee, folded newspapers for marking your glass, half…
Fantastic plastic : Lea Stein jewellery (1968 -) What’s Made In France, highly collectable and so good looking you don’t know whether to wear it or eat it? Lea Stein jewellery never seems to go out of fashion. Ten things you mightn’t know … 1. Rhodoid sandwiches Lea Stein jewellery is made from a cellulose…
The brilliance of Daum From Daum Nancy, through post-war Daum crystal, to today’s exquisite pâte-de-verre creations, Daum has become a legend in glass. But unlike other glass families such as Schneider or Legras, Daum’s founder, Jean Daum had zero experience of glass. In fact, he more or less fell into the business. A solicitor by…
Wear a piece of Jean Painlevé bakelite jewellery, and you’re not just wearing Art Deco, but also a slice of cinema history.
Mado Jolain – a ceramist for all seasons This month, we couldn’t resist featuring this uncommonly stylish 1950s vase, which is currently available to buy. With its organic shape, elegant proportions and swirly, bubbly decor, it has pretty much all you could ask for in a vase by the French ceramist, Mado Jolain. The early…
A rare stoneware vase by Jean Langlade Jean Langlade pottery is rare, so I’m delighted to be the custodian of this elegant vase… at least until it finds its next owner. Soft shades of blue, turquoise, ochre and pink meet and blend beautifully. Tiny pinholes and a slightly granular aspect in places add an unconventional…
Jean de Lespinasse – from ‘industrial’ to desirable
Today, Jean de Lespinasse pottery is sought after by private collectors and interior designers. Quite the turnround for a discreet mid century studio dismissed in its day as ‘industrial’….
Art Deco cocktail stick sets were a French speciality. They were made for canapés, snails, shellfish, cherries in eau-de-vie and other morsels – but most of all, for admiring… Trust the French to turn spearing an olive into an art form!