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…
Dragons and pagodas – Johnston et Vieillard Bordeaux This Johnston et Vieillard porcelain dinnerware is a survivor from the days when ladies wore crinolines, and dinner tables groaned under the weight of china, crystal, silverware and delicacies. It’s from the ‘Tonkin’ service, and was made in the 1850s, during the Second Empire. It’s beautifully…
A bronze fox and a remembered fox Confession time. I don’t go in for writing poetry much, and haiku is strictly my limit. But what struck me when I saw this elegant silvered bronze fox by Valmazan was how well it captures a moment in nature, and makes you think about it. In the same…
Two’s company … Chilly days call for chocolate chaud – especially when it’s served in something as pretty as this French vintage Aluminite Frugier porcelain breakfast pot from the 1920s/30s. It’s ideal for two people, or just for treating yourself. (Qui peut le plus, peut le moins*, as the French saying goes). Rescued from decades…
Leune, and a brace of exotic birds This flamboyant Art Deco vase is a perfect example of the taste for enamelled glass in France in the 1920s. It was made by Maison Leune, a Paris glass factory in business from around 1900 to 1930. What strikes you first are the ‘hot’ vitrified colours, the vibrant…
Where do French antique dealers buy their objects? “Where do you find your stuff?” It’s a question I get asked quite often. Even seasoned chineurs* can’t resist asking. So here’s a peek inside the French antiques circuit. French auction houses In France, auction houses are called “salles de vente”. The grand old dame of Paris…
Loys Lucha, where flowers bloomed all year round This luxury Art Deco Loys Lucha light first adorned a room in a fashionable Parisian home. Its original owner, Madame X, went to the Loys Lucha boutique to choose it in person, before sallying off to Angelina’s for tea and patisseries. Visiting the Loys Lucha light showroom around…