Puiforcat’s Monogrammes collection.
Photo: Alexis Armanet
Puiforcat Delves into Its Archives to Create Customizable Porcelain Tableware
The Monogrammes collection reimagines hundreds of original drawings by French silversmith Jean Puiforcat to create personalized plates, bowls, and coffee and tea sets
Jean Puiforcat’s original monogram drawings that have been preserved in the archives of his namesake atelier as well as New York's Cooper-Hewit. Photo: Quentin Bertoux
Monogrammes, a new collection from tableware atelier Puiforcat, draws on archival works by its founder to create personalized place settings for discerning hosts. “The actual cards bearing Jean Puiforcat’s monogram drawings on small four-by-six inch cards have been carefully preserved in the house’s archives for decades,” says Benoît Steenackers, the firm’s collection development director. “When they were showed to anyone visiting this room, the response was always so enthusiastic that we knew we should do something special with them.”
With Monogrammes, clients select a pair of initials from the eponymous French silversmith’s 676 original drawings, which are then rendered in Puiforcat’s Art Deco ink-and-watercolor designs on porcelain plates, bowls, and coffee and tea sets. “The idea of a bespoke porcelain collection was fueled by the growing demand for personalized pieces, and what’s more personal than a monogramed set,” Steenackers tells Galerie. “As for the timing, the real comeback of tableware made it natural for Puiforcat to bring Jean Puiforcat’s graphic work into the modern world.”
“The real comeback of tableware made it natural for Puiforcat to bring Jean Puiforcat’s graphic work into the modern world”
Benoît Steenackers
Tea/coffee service from Puiforcat’s Monogrammes collection. Photo: Alexis Armanet
Puiforcat's Monogrammes tableware comes in green, red, and yellow colorways with three options for border motifs. Photo: Robin Guittat
Elevating the deceptively simple design—which is rendered in a rich pine green, sunny yellow, or deep brick red, then coupled with notes of smoky gray—is Puiforcat’s adherence to the original artistry. “There were very little reinterpretation—the only concessions we made were rather of a technical nature,” says Steenackers, who suggests a mix of styles for a truly inspired tablescape. “Fine streaks can be difficult to render on a small scale, so we had to reduce the number of lines and simplified a few motifs. But most of them are just a faithful rendition of Jean’s creation.”
To order, contact ADLTShowroom@hermesofparis.com.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2022 Winter Issue under the headline “To the Letter.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Puiforcat’s Monogrammes collection.
Photo: Alexis Armanet
