In the eyes of Laurence Vauclair: The poetry of the lamps from Accolay

Recognized as a specialist of 19th century ceramics and carrying the colors of the winter garden, the Galerie Vauclair offers us another facet this week. The spirit of vintage from the 70s is currently floating on Laurence Vauclair's booth, who today presents us an exceptional set of lamps made by the Accolay Factory:

“We had the opportunity to acquire an exceptional set of lamps from Accolay. The resin lampshades are made with inclusions of foliage, flowers and butterflies which were very fashionable in the 70s. These lamps were made using a complex and innovative process at the time. The craftsman first made a plaster mold used to pour the resin that will form the lampshade. The previously dried decorative elements are then placed, taking care to avoid air bubbles. The resin is then poured a second time, this time the mold is deliberately broken in order to create variations in thickness in the resin to obtain nuances in the light. The interior resin remains in the raw state in order to bring out the decorative elements. The resin on the outside of the lampshade, on the other hand, must be polished in order to become transparent and thus reveal the immortalized flora and fauna. The craftsmen of Accolay know how to play with the variations of light, the bases are themselves enamelled with a brush in order to create reflections.

The pieces that we present are of exceptional quality, by their size and their beige color, which gives them a very soft appearance. Another peculiarity, some lamps have an openwork base inlaid with the same inclusions present on the lampshades, which gives an even more naturalistic spirit to the whole. A bulb is placed in the base so that the tinted resin pieces let the light shine. The dexterity with which they are made is magnificent.

A new idea of the winter garden

The floral spirit of these lamps made us want to create a vintage winter garden. By presenting these pieces, we are keen to expand the idea of the 19th century winter garden, by mixing styles and giving it a 70s touch. With these lamps, it is a bit of nature that comes inside your home.

The herbaria of my childhood

I immediately had a weakness for these lamps because they reminded me of the herbaria I made with my mom. I felt like I was with her, picking up leaves in the forest. We used to do a lot of herbaria in the fall, the process was very complex to dry the leaves. These memories strongly contributed in my decision to acquire these parts, it is only then that I could appreciate the technical side, then it is the merchant who spoke! "