Christofle silverware and the French art de la table From champagne coolers to sugar sifters, from caviar spoons to candle sticks, Christofle is part of the legend of French refinement. It’s one of France’s top international luxury brands, with an exquisite Paris flagship store and price tags beyond the reach of many. Luckily, vintage Christofle…
Maison Leune produced gorgeous enamelled glass thanks to famous glass artist, Auguste Heiligenstein
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…
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.