Langlade
Lespinasse
cocktail stick
Pouchain
Scarves
Robj
Ravel
la Puisaye
Verceram
D'avesn
Pointu
Dalpeyrat
Loewy
Pierrefonds
Bitossi
Méténier
Scarves
Loys Lucha
Legras
Accolay
Greber
Gerbino
Benjamin Rabier
de Feure
Leune
Schneider
Vieillard
Heiligenstein at Maison Leune
Some of the most sumptuous 1920s enamelled glass was produced in Paris in the atelier of Maison Leune, thanks to the inspiration of Auguste Heiligenstein… Continue reading
Christofle and the French art de la table
From champagne coolers to sugar sifters, caviar spoons to candle sticks, Christofle is part of the legend of French refinement.
Laigneil and Liberty
Admired in London, Berlin and New York, Flemish Art Nouveau pottery enjoyed a dazzling success in the 1900s… Continue reading
In praise of small things
Miniature antiques have a big impact when artfully displayed…but have you ever wondered why these tiny treasures were made? Continue reading
A Cameo Performance
Some of the great names in French glass span the centuries. Others, like De Vez, exist only briefly, yet really make their mark… Continue reading
Charles Schneider glass – modern luxury for the 20th century
Remember when you could pick up sublime Charles Schneider glass for peanuts? No, neither can we!…Continue reading
A 1940s Paris Metro newsstand aperitif set
With appeal for transport buffs, newspaper fans and anyone who loves one-of-a-kind barware, this rare novelty drinks marker set neatly captures a moment in time… Continue reading
Fantastic plastic
Lea Stein costume jewellery – French, highly collectable, and so good looking you don’t know whether to wear it or eat it…. Continue reading
The brilliance of Daum
From Daum Nancy, through post-war Daum crystal, to today’s exquisite pâte-de-verre creations, Daum is a legend in glass….Continue reading
Jean Painlevé – of seahorses and cinema
Wear a piece of Jean Painlevé bakelite jewellery, and you’re not just wearing Art Deco, but a slice of cinema history… Continue reading
Mado Jolain – a ceramist for all seasons
This month, we look back at French mid century ceramist Mado Jolain (1919-2021), the author of this uncommonly stylish vase… Continue reading
A rare vase by Jean Langlade
Blues, ochres and pinks blend beautifully in this understated vase by Art Nouveau ceramist Jean Langlade (1879-1928). Some regard Langlade as the father of glazed stoneware… Continue reading
Marianne, symbol of France, animated
Jean de Lespinasse : from ‘industrial’ to desirable
Today, Jean de Lespinasse pottery is sought after by collectors and interior designers. Quite the turnround for a discreet mid century studio dismissed in its day as ‘industrial’…. Continue reading
Novelty French cocktail stick sets
French Art Deco cocktail stick sets were made for canapés, snails, shellfish, cherries in eau-de-vie -and most of all, for admiring…
Trust the French to turn spearing an olive into an art form! Continue reading
Discovering Jacques Pouchain
Functional and abstract, figurative and playful – but always modern. Jacques Pouchain and his Atelier Dieulefit… Continue reading
A little history of the French designer silk scarf
Nothing says French chic more than a vintage silk scarf. This month, we dive into the frivolous, floaty, feminine world of the French designer square…. Continue reading
From Robj to riches
We recently sold 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… Continue reading
Portrait of a French antique hunter, Maurice Ravel
Inside the intimate home of Maurice Ravel, composer and chineur extraordinaire… Continue reading
Why pottery lovers can’t resist La Puisaye
Discover a Burgundy town famous for a 500-year-old stoneware tradition – and for sparking off a 20th French ceramics revival… Continue reading
Pierre d’Avesn – designs on Art Deco
From Lalique to Daum, from Verlys to Vannes-le-Châtel, Pierre d’Avesn helped forge Art Deco style in glass… Continue reading
How Verceram went from has-been to hip
For decades, Verceram pottery languished in attics or was consigned to the trash. Now the vintage French pottery is back, as a new generation of design hounds fall for its quirky charm… Continue reading
Jean Pointu, Léon Pointu : let the glaze do the talking
A trio of pots by a duo of potters…. Revelling in refined shapes and oh-so-perfect glazes, Jean Pointu and Léon Pointu occupy a special place in early 20th century French pottery… Continue reading
At home with Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat
This month’s focus is on Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat, whose brief but brilliant foray into glazed stoneware influenced a generation of European ceramists. The house he lived in outside Paris is now a showcase to his art … Continue reading
Limoges gets the Loewy look
The year is 1967, and in Limoges a small revolution is afoot, led by Pierre Bernardaud, director of Bernardaud porcelain, and Raymond Loewy, the father of industrial design… Continue reading
Twinkle, twinkle, Pierrefonds pottery
I do love crystalline stoneware, so it’s a treat to feature this exceptional Art Deco Pierrefonds pottery vase. The rotund shape gives it Art Deco gravitas, and the crystalline glaze is so deep and scintillating, you could get lost in it. It’s a bit of a star turn, even by Pierrefonds standards.
Few people use the manufacturer’s full name these days – la Faiencerie Héraldique Artistique de Pierrefonds is a mouthful! It’s also misleading, since the factory didn’t make much faience Continue reading
Louis and Gilbert Meténier, a family affair
Metenier – or Métenier – is an important name in pre-war French stoneware pottery. Once popular with well-to-do homemakers of the 1920s and 1930s, today Metenier pottery is prized by collectors.
Louis Metenier (1844-1922) founded the first factory in 1916 in an old tile works in Gannat, not far from Vichy. His designs allied strong shapes with dappled crystalline glazes and coined a name for a shade of blue, bleu de Gannat Read more
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, Lanvin and Dior. Look out for Hermès scarves and rarities, too…. Read more
Opulent. Opalescent. Etling
In the spotlight this month: a high Art Deco Etling opalescent glass bowl from the 1920s. Time for a trip down Paradise Road to discover Edmond Etling and his links with the great glassmaking factory of Choisy-le-Roi…. Read more
A Bitossi Piume Multicolore vase by Aldo Londi
Tall, sleek and elegant,decorated with stylised feathers, this Italian vase would cut a dash anywhere. Fans of vintage Italian ceramics will immediately recognise it as part of the Bitossi Piume Multicolore series…. Read more
AN OBJECT, A STORY. Beautiful objects with a story to tell. Pull up a chair.
Loys Lucha, flowers for every season
This delicious Art Deco light first adorned a room in a fashionable Parisian home. It was made by Loys Lucha, a luxury light manufacturer with an atelier in…Read more
Legras glass and its legacy
Legras glass is one of the great names of French antique glass. We’re pleased to offer some gorgeous examples in our shop, and we regularly add more.
A good deal is known about this formidable glassmaker, but that still leaves room for plenty of myths and misunderstandings! Here’s a primer. Read More.
The Road to Accolay
Few items sum up French mid-century optimism better than these beautiful hand-thrown pottery vases by Accolay. In the 1950s and 60s, a stop-off at the Accolay pottery studio was a ritual for Parisians driving down south to spend summer on the south coast of France. Read more
Charles Greber – Nuts about 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… Read more
Foxy cocktails
Who could resist the this dapper fox, with his paw on his breast, as he prepares to charm the cheese from the crow’s beak?
This French Art Deco cocktail stick set perfectly captures the humour of one of my favourite fables by La Fontaine – The Crow and the Fox… Continue reading.
Georges de Feure, designs on Art Nouveau
An intriguing signature on the base of this lovely old vase… It’s crisply moulded, very heavy and obviously quality. But who was Georges De Feure? A factory? A studio? An artist? An artist, it turns out – and not just any old artist. Georges de Feure (1868-1943) was at the heart of Art Nouveau in Paris. Read more.
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 Leune, a Paris glass factory that was in business from around 1900 to 1930. Read more.
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Dragons and pagodas – Johnston et Vieillard Bordeaux
This Johnston et Vieillard porcelain dinnerware comes to us from the time 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… Read more.
CULTURE TRIPS
We went, we saw, we were inspired.
A visit to a Paris plumassier
It’s fascinating to watch master craftsmen at work. So when a top Paris plumassier held an open day in his atelier recently, of course, I couldn’t resist. Read more
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. Read more
DESIGN IN PERSPECTIVE
Sometimes it’s good to take a step back and discover the backstory.
A century of style on France’s great ocean liners
You’re never too young or too old to be fascinated by France’s transatlantic ocean liners. The luxury, the glamour, the style, the spirit of adventure or the technical prowess… there’s something to seduce everyone.Read more.
How the SAM shaped 20thC French design
This week, I’ve been elbow-deep in French design and the Salon des Arts Ménagers.
The SAM, as it was known, 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.Read more.
INSIDER EYE
News and musings on the antiques trade in France
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. Read more.
Paris: The Bastille Antiques Fair – without the Bastille
The Bastille antiques fair is a Paris institution – not least for its remarkable location. Held in May and November, the antiques fair straddles the Port de l’Arsenal, a delectable… Read more.
Chatou antiques fair
If you love antiques and you happen to be in Paris this weekend, you’re in luck: the Chatou antiques fair is in full swing. Chatou is fabulous for its sheer … Read more.