Marble muscles ripple—the stone carver’s feat charismatic in its unselfconsciousness. Crystals dangle, their effervescence gleaming for centuries as blown baubles from the past. Mother-of-pearl inlay…
View More Ateliers of EuropeTag: fine porcelain
I experienced the fabulousness of fine porcelain first-hand when I visited the factories of Bernardaud in Limoges in 2016 and my respect for the material grew tremendously.
When I traveled by train to Bernardaud to visit their factories, I knew I would find beauty and history there—I had already found the patterns in the Ancienne Manufacture Royale (AMR) program on The Historic Table page of their website—and I was not wrong. The AMR was founded by Louis XVI in 1774 I learned as I read about the patterns in the program—designs for Louis XV, who bought the pattern in 1757 for everyday use at the Fontainebleau palace; Marie Antoinette; and Louis-Philippe, the last king of France who chose the Elysee pattern for his personal use at the Tuileries.
In a post foreshadowing my trip to Bernardaud, We’ll Never Be Royals, I use the words of the duc de Saint-Simon, who is known as one of the world’s great memoirists, to glean remarkable details about the actions and habits of the court during Louis XIV’s time, the last volume covering the years when Louis XV—the Sun King’s great grandson—was doted upon as a Prince of the blood. If you enjoy such rich descriptions of history, I have a number of posts under this tag so I hope you’ll stop by and read about other examples of fine porcelain.
Madame Récamier and the Art of Reclining
Jeanne-Françoise Julie Adélaïde Bernard, known after her marriage as Juliette Récamier, was born on December 4, 1777—240 years ago yesterday. Had she lived during modern…
View More Madame Récamier and the Art of RecliningMy Porcelain Bucket List
When I am planning literary design adventures, I look for experiences that give me the feeling of transcendence—encounters during which I am conscious of having…
View More My Porcelain Bucket ListDining with History
A month from Sunday, I’ll be winging my way to Paris to attend Maison & Objet, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve been invited to…
View More Dining with HistoryWe’ll Never Be Royals
Nest Nest Nest features the Alliage pattern.As I write this, I can feel the design energy draining from the Americas as the movers-and-shakers in our…
View More We’ll Never Be RoyalsThe Peacock Room à la Whistler
The most recognizable painting by artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler might lead you to believe he was as Puritan as his upbringing. The fact he…
View More The Peacock Room à la WhistlerA Room with a View x 2
When I saw the expressive twin spaces Justin Shaulis created as one of American Standard’s 2015 DXV Design Panel participants, I knew I had to…
View More A Room with a View x 2Rococo Style in Italy
If I told you the most surprising thing I found in Parma, Italy, was France, would you think I’d lost my mind? I’m not speaking…
View More Rococo Style in Italy