Christofle’s 200-year History of Silversmithing Excellence, Innovation, and Creativity Goes on View in Paris

“The project had already started 10 years ago when I arrived at the museum,” says Gay-Mazuel. “I had first come here 12 years ago and one of the first things I said was that we had to address the story of Christofle. Christofle is a French heritage house which has been closely linked to this museum since 1870. The then-director of Christofle, Henri Bouilhet, was the vice president of the museum for 37 years. He remained the vice president until his death in 1910.”

The museum and Christofle also share common values, amplifying “le beau dans l’utile” (beauty in the useful) and the industrial arts. They have large holdings of Christofle pieces in the permanent collection, making it the perfect exhibition for MAD with a compelling story to tell about French craftsmanship, innovation, and creativity.

Gay-Mazuel continues, “For me, it was obvious that this was a project for MAD. I had worked on this exhibition 10 years ago and then it was abandoned due to lack of funds. It was so sad and I thought, OK, this is done, and I packed all of my research away in boxes.”

Then three years ago, much to her surprise, Christofle came to the museum and said they would love to support the exhibition.

Within the permanent collection there are approximately 300 pieces from Christofle spanning from 1897 through the art deco period, and the 1950’s right up to today. Christofle has collaborated with artists since the 19th century with the likes of Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Gio Ponti, César and more, including contemporary creatives like Karl Lagerfeld and Pharrell Williams. They also supplied pieces to the French Court and the Orient Express.

In addition to their own holdings, MAD has been fortunate enough to include loans from such prestigious institutions as the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Elysée Palace and the Mobilier National, along with pieces from private collections.

This important exhibition celebrates almost 200 years of history, creativity, and innovation. It includes works which lean into the traditional techniques with an eye open to innovative design, from teaspoons to monumental vases. It also illustrates what happens behind the scenes, the secrets of silvering, gilding and how a fork is made.

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