Alinea, a Belgian-based design firm led by designer and interior architect, Leo Aerts centers materials and craftsmanship at their core. For over thirty years, Aerts has worked as both an interior architect and industrial designer to actualize furniture and design objects with a focus on sustainability and longevity of design and materials. The concealed precision and functionality of the works weave a common thread throughout his vast oeuvre of designs. The Angelo M Series is handcrafted in the North of Italy. Hand-selected marble is shaped with modern technologies and honed by revered craftsmen to show the most expressive qualities of the marble.

His designs have won numerous national and international awards, including the coveted German Red Dot Design Award, German Design Award, Good Design Award in Chicago, and AZ Award in Toronto.

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Alinea

Seventh-generation family-owned ceramics workshop, Arita Porcelain Lab has carried on the Arita-yaki kiln craftsmanship legacy for over four centuries.

The Arita-yaki kiln dates back to the early 17th century when the head of the Nabeshima clan, Naoshige Nabeshima, unearthed the mineral matters that have ever since been used to make Arita's porcelain. Located in the Saga Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Arita quickly became the epicenter for porcelain production and knowledge in Japan. The Arita-yaki kiln and the porcelain industry thrived until the 20th century — As other crafts and local industries, it then suffered through the World Wars and their significant socio-economic impacts on Japan.

Magnetic ore was first discovered in Japan by Lee San-Pei in 1616. This discovery triggered the beginning of the renowned Arita ware. Mining lasted for the 380 years between the Edo era and the mid-Meiji era, and is said to have “converted an entire mountain into porcelain within 400 years”. The 400-year-long history of Arita ware is due to its development into products of distinct characteristics at various sites, mainly into the three most famous styles: Koimari, Kakiemon, and Ironabeshima. Further interactions with foreign countries led to the creation of the Kinrande-style. Today, Arita Porcelain Lab's masters are part of the rarefied local ceramicists that continue to perpetuate the Arita time-honored techniques, making porcelain of the highest quality, using materials and processes unique to the territory.

Arita Porcelain

With a four-hundred-year lineage of master-ceramicists, the Matsubayashi clan and its family-owned pottery studio, Asahiyaki, have carried on the pottery tradition of Uji, Kyoto for sixteen generations. The time-honored techniques, paired with the water quality of the Uji river and the local soil composition, have combined to bring the world’s attention to this region’s very fine clay. Sixteenth generation Yusuke has recently succeeded his father, Master Hosai Matsubayashi, and continues his ancestors’ design legacy and cultural heritage. Inspired by the region’s tea ceremony culture, Asahiyaki ceramic works celebrate the tea-tasting experience, including designs for performing traditional tea rituals with contemporary appeal.

The clay of ASAHIYAKI is composed of sediment laid by the Uji River centuries ago. Now gathered from nearby locales, the clay is mined and stored by the studio for half a century before use. Over the years, exposure to rain and wind ages the clay, and the components contained in it change as if the clay were alive. The clay used for pottery today was mined by the artisans’ ancestors and the clay mined today will be used by future generations. As the core of their artform, ASAHIYAKI honors their soft clay characterized by a high degree of water absorbency and a low level of heat conductivity, ideal for tea ceremony pieces. Using a variety of kilns, each of which results in different effects on the skin of the clay, ASAHIYAKI’s unique aesthetic is largely derived from the kiln-process. Natural properties of the clay and special firing techniques in their centuries-old hand-built kiln, create the characteristic mottling effect consistent throughout their body of work.

Since their inception, the kiln-masters of ASAHIYAKI have worked in concert with Uji-region Tea-masters to create storied pieces that both honor and contribute to Japanese cultural heritage. ASAHIYAKI is numbered among the Seven Enshu Kilns, a list of Japanese pottery kilns whose ceramics were favored by Kobori Enshu, the Japanese tea ceremony master from the 16th/17th century. Through cultural changes, the rise and fall of the popularity of the tea ceremony, and the fluctuations in economic prosperity, ASAHIYAKI adapted to continue their work.

Asahiyaki

Located in the natural park of the Vallée de Chevreuse in France, Les Ateliers Saint-Jacques is a non-profit cooperative of master-craftsmen and workshops sharing the land of the Coubertin castle. The compound of stone carving, metalsmithing and woodcraft ateliers share the domain with the revered art founders of Fonderie de Coubertin. Incepted in 1953 by French patron of the Arts, Yvonne de Coubertin and sculptor Jean Bernard, the cooperative of workshops inherited Madame de Coubertin’s castle and property in 1973, where they built their respective ateliers and created the Coubertin foundation dedicated to fostering artisanal mentorship and carry-on their master-craftsmanship legacy. Every year, each atelier is committed to training a tight selection of 40 graduates from the Compagnons du Devoirs and offer the young artisans a proper framework to refine and perfect their academic skills.

The 110 master-craftsmen of Les Ateliers Saint-Jacques and La Fonderie de Coubertin figure among Europe's most skilled and esteemed artisans, conceiving projects ranging from classical and antique works to modern architecture and contemporary design. Building on a 3,000-year legacy, they bring together their respective mastery and acute understanding of their materials to restore castles and government offices worldwide, fabricate architectural works for contemporary interiors and fabricate painstaking works of art for an international clientele of contemporary artists and designers.

Ateliers Saint-Jacques

French painter Marcel Zelmanovitch founded DIURNE in 1982 in pursuit of an alternative canvas to transmute his paintings into woven narratives. The artist had found a new passion. Living and working between Paris and Nepal near his team of master weavers, Zelmanovitch is now fully supporting their workshop and community, allowing each of them to carry on Nepal’s rug traditions and its rich craftsmanship legacy. Today, Zelmanovitch invites artists and designer friends to use his palette of woven canvases, Diurne, for their personal work and expressions.

His approach emphasizes the importance of time-honored techniques, viewing each rug as a canvas where ancient artistry meets contemporary vision. The Diurne collection exemplifies this philosophy, with each piece emerging from a meticulous series of traditions: hand-selected fibers of wool, silk, linen, and mohair are carefully dyed in hand-mixed pigment, spun, then intricately knotted and woven by skilled artisans. The collection of unique and limited edition rugs by Galerie Diurne has evolved to include collaborations with contemporary designers such as Mattia Bonetti, Raphael Navot, Charles Zana, and Francis Sultana.

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Diurne

Behind its iconic, eponymous design editions catalog, the former Paris-based atelier Domeau & Pérès was founded in 1996 by master saddler, upholsterer and furniture makers, Bruno Domeau & Philippe Pérès – both graduates of France’s legendary craftsmanship institution Les Compagnons du Devoir.

A long-kept secret destination for its comprehensive set of expertise and its meticulous work, the atelier has cultivated an international clientele of high expectations. Their special commissions included projects for international private collectors, established artists and discerning businesses such as Falcon Jets, Hermès, LVMH, Karl Lagerfeld, Dior, Berluti, the Bridge Club in Bridgehampton or the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris, amongst others.

Domeau & Pérès' rare design literacy and passion combined with their obsessive pursuit of perfection had also drawn design luminaries such as Marc Newson, Martin Szekely, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Andrée Putman, Pharrel Williams or Pablo Reinoso to the atelier for the development of special commissions. Their longstanding relationships and collaborations with such talents inspired the Editions Domeau & Pérès — its signature collection of exclusive designs created for and developed by the atelier.

Before closing in 2024, Domeau and Pérès have built a significant catalog of contemporary design editions that now belongs to the permanent collections of museums including Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs and produced numerous design exhibitions in collaboration with public institutions including the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum Krefeld, the Jacques Tati estate ‘Les Films de mon Oncle’. In 2005, the two esteemed artisans were bestowed the honoring title of Chevaliers des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for their commitment and ongoing contribution to France’s cultural heritage.

Domeau & Pérès

Situated in New Delhi, Ekaya hails from a long lineage of master-weavers. Renowned for its sought-after Banarasi textiles, the Shah family has upheld the intricate weaving techniques of Banaras for over four generations and stands as one of India’s most esteemed textile ateliers. Led by third-generation Bharat Shah and his daughter Palak Shah, the studio has become a beacon for India’s textile tradition. In 2012, Bharat and Palak have created the atelier’s signature collection named Ekaya, a contemporary tribute to their country’s cultural heritage, preserving the centuries old weaving techniques of Banaras through modern designs.

As revered by their peers as they are by fine textiles appreciators around the world, the Shah family has slowly developed an extensive network of over 10,000 master weavers through generations, all contributing to the rich tapestry of Ekaya’s heritage. Today marks the first time the torch is being passed to a woman in the family.Combining visionary leadership with a deep appreciation for her country’s cultural heritage and her family legacy, Palak Shah has brought new projects to the studio with international collaborations aimed at shifting the global perception of Indian handloom textiles. These recent initiatives seek to preserve the time-honored Banarasi techniques by developing new textile applications and expressions through the lenses of cross-disciplinary artists and designers, as exemplified by its latest collaboration with renowned New York-based architect and designer Suchi Reddy, unveiled at Ateliers Courbet in October 2024.

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Ekaya

Founded in 1992 by David de Gourcuff, Fonderie Fusions has grown international recognition over the past three decades for its rarefied level of expertise and the time-honored techniques its team of 35 master craftsmen continue to perpetuate. Artists and designers from around the world would involve Gourcuff and his team along the creative development process from the original work through to the casted sculpture.

Specializing in the lost-wax casting techniques, the Auvergne, France-based foundry was awarded the “Enterprise du Patrimoine Vivant” title bestowed by the French Ministry of Trade and Industry, which acknowledges an atelier’s commitment to preserving and carrying-on the ongoing cultural heritage of the country. In 2017, Fusions founder David de Gourcuff was individually awarded the Bettencourt-Schueller Foundation’s prestigious Liliane Bettencourt Prize of “L’Intelligence de la Main” –The Hands’ Intelligence —.

Fonderie Fusion

Family-owned since 1688, Hosoo has carried on the renowned textile traditions of Nishijin in Kyoto for more than twelve generations. The history of the textile company could even be traced back to the birth of the textile district in Nishijin, Kyoto formed by master-weavers and tailors in the 9th century.

Originally appointed kimono tailors and obi belt weavers of the Imperial Family of Japan in the 17th century, Hosoo’s long lineage of weavers have since expanded their workshop to create traditionally-woven, hand-spun silk-based textiles for international talents, interior designers and fashion houses around the world.

Under the visionary leadership of the Hosoo family, the textile mill has preserved the time-honored techniques and weaving methods of Nishijin, while integrating them with improved looming technologies to meet the demands of an international clientele.

Hosoo

Irish Crystal studio, J. HILL’s Standard is a model of modern and visionary leadership bridging Ireland’s crystal tradition to today’s culture and aesthetics with the utmost integrity. Working with international designers and artists, the master-craftsmen of J. Hill’s Standard presents contemporary crystal collections anchored in their cultural heritage using time-honored techniques.

Hand-cut crystal is a craft synonymous with Ireland and, in particular, with the area around Waterford. At one time Waterford produced the world’s finest cut lead crystal, using 120 furnaces and 3,500 craft workers, drawing artisans, and industrialists from around the world. Sadly, the local industry has been in decline and only a handful of small workshops are still practicing the traditional craft.

At inception, the manufacture was inspired John Hill, a pioneer of crystal making who joined the Waterford Glass House in 1783. Before his sudden departure just three years later, he noted his formula – his ‘Standard’ – for compounding glass and passed it to a trusted friend who continued his legacy of excellence and set the course for the superior production of crystal in Waterford.

Anike Tyrrell, Founder of J. HILL’s Standard had led the Waterford County Enterprise Board for many years before she brought together the most skilled glassblowers and crystal-cutters of the region and started J. Hill’s Standard based on Mister John Hill’s secret crystal formula. The manufacture was born from a desire to preserve the craftsmanship legacy and cultural heritage of the region, bringing the expertise of Waterford County’s craftsmen to international design talents. Their first collections include designs by Martino Gamper, Scholten & Baijings, and Nigel Peake.

Through the establishment of sustainable handcrafted crystal manufacture, J. HILL’s Standard has plans to set up a glass blowing school and provide support for emerging glass artists of the region. The facility aims to become a platform that perpetuates the craftsmanship heritage with on-going research and development for new product designs and advanced glass technologies.

J Hill's Standard

Founded in 1875 by Master Kiyosuke Kaikado, Kaikado was established in Kyoto during a time of economic, political, and cultural expansion as Japan was emerging from a long isolationist period. Newly-opened trade exchange with the West brought foreign commodities and artistic inspiration to Japan. Tin, an English import, became a high-demand European commodity, and was used for the original tea caddies designed by Master Kiyosuke.

These early airtight tin caddies eventually replaced the then-common earthenware jars for their greater ability to preserve the scent and perfume of tea leaves, giving Kaikado a crucial position in the local market. This early development allowed the small workshop to become the main canister purveyor to the community of merchants, tea dealers, and private homeowners.

Following the War, Japan saw a period of economic growth and the advent of mass-produced, inexpensive tea caddies. In response to changes in the marketplace, Kaikado’s fourth generation, Master Souchi, explored new materials, introducing copper tea caddies. The fifth-generation, Master Seiji, introduced smaller canisters to a society that was becoming more and more mobile. Seiji also designed the first tea caddy made of brass. The sixth generation, Takahiro Yaji, has contributed the most to the expansion of his family's workshops by initiating international collaborations and special exhibition projects, and by introducing to the world his family’s cultural heritage and design legacy.

The iconic Kaikado Chazutsu (the standard Kaikado Tea Canister) involves a 130-step fabrication process. Its timeless design has made this signature product one that has never lost the appreciation of Kaikado’s now international clientele.

The Kaikado tea caddy develops a unique patina over time, specific to the component brass, tin, or copper materials. The canister grows value and appreciation as this sheen of oxidation continues to develop. A one-hundred-year-old tea caddy with opaque patina holds the soul and memories of a family; it is passed onto the next generation as a family heirloom. Regarded as beautifully crafted objects and efficient conservation containers, the Kaikado caddies are sought after as long-lasting family heirlooms and used to store a wide variety of cereals, grains, spices, tea or coffee. They continue to preserve the perfume and the flavor of goods in private homes, restaurant kitchens, and tea shops across the world.

Kaikado

Kanaami-Tsuji is a family-owned workshop established in Kyoto by Master Kenichi Tsuji. The workshop carries on the traditional Kyo-Kanaami techniques ('metal knitting' in Japanese). Each piece is hand-crafted by the meticulous hands of Master Kenichi Tsuji, his son Toru Tsuji and their team of artisans.

The collection encompasses contemporary design kitchen utensils and tea service accessories. Archeological digs have unearthed artifacts in the area of Kyoto demonstrating that this wiring technique has been used for the making of cooking utensils as far back as a millennium. Kanaami-Tsuji uses time-honored hand-weaving techniques, such as kiku-dashi (chrysanthemum pattern) and kikko-ami (tortoise shell netting). The two weaving patterns are traditionally used for tofu servers and tea strainers. The designs are both timeless and contemporary with intricate wiring-patterns resulting in elegant, jewelry-like kitchen accessories.

Kanaami-Tsuji

Founded in 1986 by French metalsmith Eric Jacot, the Fonderie Chapon has gained industry recognition for its expertise in the creation of cast works of art and design. The foundry collaborates with cultural institutions, artists, designers and architects in Paris to realize hand-crafted pieces using time-honored techniques.

The foundry's artisans execute every aspect of the fabrication from the molds to the patinas and finishes of their cast-bronze creations.

Les Ateliers Courbet is pleased to present the impeccable craftsmanship of the Fonderie Chapon through the collection of Paris-based, Michel Amar.

La Fonderie Chapon

Founded in 1985 by Mario Morvidoni, les Marbreries de la Seine has become one of the trusted resources for stone and mineral material works in Paris. The manufacture offers a complete scope of expertise from material consultation to fabrication and installation.

Grown from time-honored techniques, les Marbreries de la Seine's singular expertise combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies. Their mineral mastery uncovers the beauty of a space and open up new dimensions. Today, the atelier executes challenging and nuanced projects for an international clientele of interior designers and architects.

Les Ateliers Courbet is pleased to present the impeccable craftsmanship of Les Marbreries de la Seine through the collection of Paris-based Michel Amar.

Les Marbreries de Seine

Founded in 1823 by Joseph Lobmeyr, Viennese family-owned glass manufacturer J. & L. Lobmeyr has garnered worldwide recognition, and the highest regards of the design industry, for its impeccable craftsmanship, its significant design legacy, and its forward-thinking leadership from one generation to the next.

A visionary leader, third-generation Ludwig Lobmeyr was recognized for reviving the glass and crystal traditions of Bohemia and challenging the local glass masters to improve the techniques that drew the world’s attention to the region’s savoir-faire. Ludwig is responsible for some of the most iconic Lobmeyr collections, with timeless designs by such Viennese contemporaries as Josef Hoffmann and Adolf Loos – designs which today belong to the permanent collections of major museums around the world.

For six generations now, J. & L. Lobmeyr has significantly contributed to the design and craft legacy of Austria and Europe. The manufacturer has built a major portfolio of private projects, as well as institutional projects including the Schönbrunn Palace, the Vienna State Opera, the Kremlin, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Metropolitan Opera House lights at the Lincoln Center in New York.

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Lobmeyr

Maison Intègre is an Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso-based bronze workshop fostering West Africa's long lineage of craftsmanship. Founded by Ambre Jarno in 2017, Maison Intègre's Burkinabe artisans carry on the lost wax bronze casting technique that has largely remained unchanged since its inception millennia ago.

In 2022, the studio built a comprehensive workshop to support the artisanship of fifteen artisans, a meaningful step to protect the craft traditions and provide a livelihood for the artisans. Jarno cultivates dialogue between the artisans of Maison Intègre and bronzesmiths of her native France, who have had the opportunity to visit the workshop in Ouagadougou to share their respective time-honored techniques.

Maison Intègre invites contemporary designers to develop pieces or cohesive collections. The inaugural collection brings the artisans in conversation with Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance to create a collection of seven sculpture pieces that embody and draw inspiration from the vernacular architecture and design of Burkina Faso.

Maison Intègre

Norlha brings lush lifestyle goods made from yak wool from the Machu and Zorge Ritoma areas of Amdo, Tibet. The Norlha workshop was founded in 2007, following two straights years of research on yak fiber and its possibilities for transformation.

Norlha directly links sustainability and luxury with organic and natural products processed by hand while at the same time creating an alternative livelihood to an impoverished area. Norlha trains and employs Tibetan nomads on the high plateau to process and transform the fiber from their yaks. The workshop presents lasting value, elegance, lusciousness and personal comfort all with meaning and a purpose. In step with their Tibetan origin, Norlha integrates the many textures achieved with yak Khullu, with simple and sophisticated designs. Combining traditional techniques with more modern technology results in luxurious textiles and an endless variety of patterns and weights suitable for all seasons.

Norlha’s founder, Kim Yeshi, was convinced that the yak’s dense under coat, or khullu, held special properties prompting her to collect two tons of yak wool from the Machu and Zorge Ritoma areas of Amdo. Once cleaned and de-haired, the fiber was loaded on a truck and transported to Katmandu where it was spun and woven. The people from Zorge Ritoma, where the workshop is located, have a natural inclination for spinning and weaving. To enhance the capabilities of the craftsmen, Norhla introduced versatile techniques from Nepal and India that were well adapted to a village setting. The result was beyond expectation: the yak was lusciously soft, warm and rugged.

Norlha

The Porzellan Manufaktur of Nymphenburg was established in 1747, when Bavarian Empire Elector Max III Joseph set up the Electoral Porcelain manufactory at his "Grünes Schlössl" in Neudeck, near Munich. Located near the palace of Nymphenburg, the manufacture has been operating with its natural millstream ever since.

Named ‘White Gold’ in the 18th century, porcelain was at the time regarded as one of the most valuable and desirable luxury items, adored and admired almost as much as relics and jewels. Porcelain was the epitome of courtly cultivation, and served highly representative purposes. Accordingly, the Wittelsbach family was at first the main procurer of electoral porcelain – they commissioned both the "Royal Bavarian Service" as well as gifts for befriended electorates and royal families. Each plate and cup was stamped with the shield of diamonds, and this porcelain became the Electoral's trademark export.

In 1761, the manufactory relocated to the northern circular building at the Nymphenburg palace. The porcelain manufactory blossomed there over the coming years. Its reputation for producing porcelain of the highest quality and craftsmanship soon spread beyond the country with Nymphenburg porcelain even being sent to Venice. In 1815, the manufacture was bestowed the title of State of the Arts Institution by the Bavarian kingdom. Porcelain painting blossomed anew when King Ludwig I took office in 1825; he commissioned plates and platters from the manufactory which were not used as services, but which were meant to document the most important works of art of the time. These "reproductions" on porcelain may today be found at the Munich Residenz and Marstall museums.

Although large parts of the buildings were destroyed during World War II, the valuable moulds and archival models of the manufacture were saved – along with its legacy. The historic site of the manufacture was rebuilt after the War by the brothers Alfred, Fritz and Kurt Bäuml. Now under the patronage of Wittelsbach Compensation Fund, the manufacture continues utilizing the time-honored techniques developed by its predecessors, with re-editions of its archival designs, as well as new collections with guest artists including Ted Muehling, Michele Oka Doner, and Karl Lagerfeld, among others.

Nymphenburg

Since 2002, founder Oyuna Tserendorj has undertaken the mission to bridge the finest cashmere-weaving traditions of her native country to the world of the present day, with a modern and elegant textile collection that employs a contemporary palette of colors and designs.

Oyuna has gained worldwide recognition for its unique identity as both a purveyor of contemporary cashmere design and a stalwart against the disruption of traditional herding practices.

Tserendorj simultaneously preserves and adapts Mongolia’s time-honored craftsmanship practices, adapting environmentally sustainable practices to traditional techniques of cashmere production and to the way of life of Mongolian nomads. With Oyuna, Les Ateliers Courbet is pleased to present the ethos, the work and cultural heritage of these nomadic herders and cashmere weavers.

Oyuna Tserendorj’s world-traveled eye and creativity is evident in her modern and daring color palette, as well as the finely-soft, yet substantial hand of the weaves. Drawing on the high level of quality which defines Mongolian cashmere weaving, OYUNA embodies our desire for warmth, comfort and sophisticated modern design.

Oyuna

Founded in 1953 by Roger Phelippeau, the upholstery workshop of Phelippeau Tapissier is praised for its rare ability to execute complex contemporary pieces using time-honored French upholstery techniques. The team has gained recognition for its distinctive stitching details and its expertise in traditional animal-hair-filling techniques.

Hailing from a long lineage of weavers, couturiers, and upholsterers, the family-owned atelier houses over thirty master craftsmen and contemporary artisans. Led by second-generation Alexandre Phelippeau, the studio extends its expertise and bespoke services to an international clientele of architects, designers, and manufacturers. The contemporary artisans of Phelippeau Tapissier have fabricated an extensive catalog of modern design pieces handcrafted and hand-sewn with rare dexterity and patience, giving the resulting modern design pieces a sense of heirloom quality.

Phelippeau Tapissier

Founded in 1820 by Emile Puiforcat, this Parisian family workshop has passed down its renowned silverwork mastery from one generation to the next. It was the visionary leadership and artistic talent of Jean E. Puiforcat, the fourth generation in the workshop, that truly brought the world’s attention to Puiforcat; his design legacy was a significant contribution to the studio, and in turn a major contribution to the international Art Déco movement of his time.

Immersed in the artistic changes of Europe between the two World Wars, Jean Puiforcat was one of the founders of the Union des Artistes Modernes in 1929, and a close friend of René Herbst, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Pierre Chareau. His work has been widely exhibited in museums around the world, and belongs to permanent collections, both institutional and private, notably the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

As a recognized master silversmith in 1920, Jean Puiforcat’s passion for sculpture and art inspired his revolutionary designs and his advocacy for simplified forms to better suit the function. He adopted a sleek new aesthetic in a time where most high-end silverwork was associated with fussy ornamentation. His signature pieces are characterized by clean architectural lines, notable simplicity and the marriage of sterling silver with other precious materials such as exotic woods, semi-precious stones and shagreen.

Jean Puiforcat’s inspiration from and influence upon the Art Déco style was reflected across many mediums throughout his creative career, including sculptural works, drawings, silverworks, and his active dialogue with the architectural thinkers of the time. He is widely considered a cornerstone of both the European Art Déco movement and of modern silversmithing. His work is regularly revived by the new generations of master-silversmiths at Puiforcat, whose the contemporary in-house collections still exude his spirit.

Puiforcat

The son of a stone sculptor, Rutger Graas was born in 1973 in a small village near Amsterdam. Always drawn to arts and craft, Graas studied fine woodworking in his native Netherlands. The young woodmaster opened his own studio immediately upon graduating.

His passion and understanding of the wood material, as well as the acuteness of his design eye soon brought Graas’ work to the attention of the Dutch design scene. His collaborations with designers including Aldo Bakker have been widely exhibited and belongs to collections both private and institutional.

“Aldo triggers my curiosity and challenges me, which I particularly appreciate. I never rest on any acquired knowledge with him. His vision and his designs push the seeming limits of the craft or the material. It makes me feel that I never left school and makes me want to get up in the morning. I think his work is interesting in a sense that it provokes and challenges everyone from the maker to the viewer or the end user.”

Rutger Graas

Working hand in hand with some of the most meticulous weavers in the southern region of the Himalayas, Sabine de Gunzburg and Les Ateliers Courbet offer a diverse palette of custom rug designs, weaves and materials.

Exemplifying Nepal’s rug traditions, the collection includes limited edition rugs by guest artists including Frank Gehry, Vladimir Kagan, and Francis Picabia; designs by Sabine de Gunzburg and Les Ateliers Courbet; in addition to bespoke rug-design services.

The history of weaving in the Himalayan region dates from the second century CE. Retrieved writings by ancient travelers and traders describing the clothes and rugs of the region as beautiful protections against the harsh winter seasons, attest to the longevity of the textile traditions in the southern region of the Himalaya.

The unrivaled rug-weaving techniques of India and Nepal were developed in the 17th Century. Materials like silk and pashmina gave an incredibly soft texture and resistance while permitting a greater number of tighter knots in the woven rugs and tapestries. By the mid-17th century, the local art of weaving had reached new heights, with tapestries of some of these silk yarns incorporating nearly 4,500 knots per square inch.

As with all other crafts, carpet-making saw a decline for some time, but the tradition was sustained through select and highly-regarded families. To this day, Indian and Nepalese weavers are considered to produce the most highly technical, skillful, and classically-crafted carpets and rugs in the world.

S2G Atelier

Based in the Netherlands, Sergej Kirilov has received rigorous Urushi lacquering training by Japanese Master, Mariko Nishide. Today, Kirilov has garnered the respect of his peers and has established his own workshop offering his urushi expertise and undertaking the challenging design commissions of local galleries and artists.

The urushi comes from the sap of a tree that grows in China, Korea, Japan and in the eastern region of the Himalayas. The process for applying lacquer is long and labor intensive, costing an average of six months to carry out the finishing. In many cases, 60 layers of urushi are applied and polished by hand.

Sergej Kirilov

From his remote studio located in the serene countryside of Lake Shiga near Kyoto, Shuji Nakagawa carries on the fine wood crafting traditions of the region and time-honored techniques that were passed down from his ancestors. 

Hailing from a long lineage of marquetry masters, seventh-generation Nakagawa honed his craft under the mentoring of his father, Living National Treasure, Kiyotsugu Nakagawa, in Kyoto. Nakagawa has since built a comprehensive body of work of his own and established his personal practice in the serene countryside of Lake Shiga near Kyoto.

Though rooted in craftsmanship legacy and cultural heritage, Nakagawa's work breaks from tradition. Expanding upon the time-honored techniques that were passed down from his father, the artist taps into his individuality, voicing his artistic ideas through nonfunctional sculptural forms of larger scale. Created in 2023, this series was highlighted in the Kyoto Kyocera Museum exhibition 'Visionaries' curated by Noriko Kawakami last spring. From monumental sculptures to small objects of traditional functionality, Nakagawa’s pieces embody the artist’s deep respect for his organic medium — wood —, his artisanal dexterity, and the culture of humility that is shared among Japan’s master craftsmen.

His entire body of work highlights the essence and natural beauty of various local wood species. Often the artist chooses to work with Jindai-Sugi — a Japanese cedar sourced from Northern Japan's forests that symbolizes the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world. Its weathered bark and intricate patterns evoke a sense of harmony where the passage of time is celebrated rather than feared.

The wood crafter explains the virtues of different wood species and why one may have been historically selected over another for certain purposes. “

Sawara cypress has a soft smell and the ability to absorb water well, that is why we usually use it for rice keepers. The Hinoki cypress, however, has a strong scent. It’s not suitable for food and drink containers. Instead, its medicinal virtues make it a good species to use for wooden bathtubs and other bathroom elements”

Nakagawa's wood pieces are sought after both for the remarkably soft surfaces he is able to achieve and for the seamless curves of their silhouettes. His work has been exhibited in museums across Japan and Europe and is part of significant private and institutional collections.

Shuji Nakagawa

A bearer of the French cultural heritage, Sèvres has been carrying forward its legacy of artistry and craftsmanship for over three centuries now.

Sèvres was founded in 1740 just outside of Paris, and operated there until, in 1756, Madame de Pompadour – legendary patron of the arts, and official mistress to the King of France – convinced Louis XV to bring the finest ceramicists of France closer to Versailles. The historic landmark of the Royal Porcelain Manufacture was built in Sèvres right next to the Court, where the master-ceramicists still work today. Now catering to an international clientele, the workshops have long produced the porcelain and sculptural works for the King’s Court.

Since its inception, Sèvres has built a significant portfolio of museum pieces and ceramic sculptures acquired by international private and institutional collections, and has been involved since the outset in collaborations with such luminaries such as Auguste Rodin, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann in the 1920’s, Alexander Calder and Serge Poliakoff in the 1950s and 1960s, and Louise Bourgeois, Pierre Alechinsky, Zao Wou-ki, and Fabrice Hyber. Collaborations with Modern and Contemporary artists include Yayoi Kusama, Etorre Sottsass, Bertrand Lavier, Pierre Soulages, José Levy, Christian Biecher, Pierre Charpin, Michele De Lucchi, Barthélémy Toguo, and Andrea Branzi.

Since 2014, Sevres has unveiled several of their more recent artistic collaborations at Les Ateliers Courbet, including the collections of Dutch Design luminaries Aldo Bakker, and Scholten & Baijings. Les Ateliers Courbet opens the gates of the manufacture to the United States, presenting a rotating selection of works and ongoing access to the French workshops for private commissions and re-edition orders.

Sèvres

Based in Udine, Italy, Teúkhō encapsulates the craftsmanship rooted in the Garzitto family's influence on Friuli's timber industry. Grounded in their reverence for wood, Teúkhō master craftsmen create sculptures inspired by time and tradition using fossilized wood.

Combining ancient materials and traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, Teúkhō sources fossilized wood found in natural rivers to create unique vessels. The fossilized wood, with origins dating back to 5000 to 6000 BC, reveal distinctive characteristics with unique textures and forms that contort through drying and aging. Meticulously handcrafted in Italy, each piece stands as a testament to the harmonious interplay of human hands, natural elements, and the inexorable passage of time, converging to shape unforeseen and distinctive forms.

Teúkhō 

Founded in 1921 by Paolo Venini, a Milanese lawyer, and Giacomo Cappellin, a Venetian antiques dealer, Venini & C. has become an international reference for its contribution to the advancement of glassmaking techniques, and for its significant portfolio, which includes artistic collaborations with Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Massimiliano Fuksas, Ettore Sottsass, Peter Marino, and Tadao Ando, among others.

Widely published and exhibited, the Venini collections are included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Cooper Hewitt, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Fondation Cartier in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London among others.

Venini’s own museum in Italy holds precious archives including 45,000 drawings, 10,000 vintage photographs and 4,000 works of art, making their museum’s private collection one of the most significant archives of 20th century and Contemporary glass art in the world.

The Master Craftsmen