In praise of small things Whether you live in in an apartment or a chateau, small decorative antiques can have a big impact if chosen carefully and artfully displayed. And all the more so since maximalist decor has made a comeback. But why were these cherished miniatures made in the first place? Fit for a…
Laigneil and Liberty Kortrijk, c1900. Available to buy Back in my London days, one of my pleasures was getting lost in Liberty’s, the famous olde worlde department store on Regent Street. No doubt if I’d been shopping there around 1900, I’d have seen colourful Flemish art pottery vases like this one, perhaps sharing space with…
Some great names in French glass lasted centuries. De Vez existed only briefly but left us some extraordinary art nouveau glass.
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
Gustave Caillebotte – the ‘other’ Impressionist Time for a cultural interlude, with some bucolic charm thrown in. Last weekend, I visited the country home of Impressionist painter, Gustave Caillebotte – and it’s a jewel. Set in its own rolling park, the house is elegant, yet the decor is oddly anachronistic. That’s because much of…
Charles Greber and Art Nouveau I had to wrest this Charles Greber Art Nouveau jardinière from the “homme de ma vie” He thought it would make a good receptacle for storing his hazelnuts. Well, it has been a bumper year for hazelnuts this year, but even so… It’s a stupendous piece of French Art Nouveau stoneware…