If rattan was a story,  it would necessarily be told by Laurence Vauclair. This ceramics and rattan lover welcomes you in the refinement and freshness of her winter garden. A real journey through time, chic and a little exotic where you will discover pieces of incredible finesse.

What is your background ?

I grew up in a family that loved antiquities, flea market, and museums. I did not study art history, but a license of Japanese, which has nothing to do but that has probably created for me a hard worker side. Life has made me meet other antique dealers, and that I had the opportunity to start by buying my first objects. I started selling on the professional fairs, which allowed me to build my network with which I still work today. I then opened a shop.

What is your speciality ?

I specialize in winter garden furniture and artistic ceramics of the second half of the 19th century. In the winter gardens, the only furniture that can be find are made in rattan and bamboo. To decorate these ceramics of which I made a specialty, I started to buy rattan and I found it extraordinary. It was an entier story to write. I always focused on the high-end furniture of the 19th century. Today, there is has a great comeback of these pieces that corresponds, I think, to a more natural lifestyle need and that leads to an appeal for vegetable fibers.

What do you like the most about rattan ?

On the rattan of the 19th century, I find remarkable the quality of weaving mixed with fine wickerwork that you can find embroidered on some pieces, much like a garment. It is a work that is similar to carving, very finely worked I like it is the refinement that it can bring to an interior

What does Paul Bert Serpette represent for you ?

Paul Bert Serpette is a laboratory of trends, ideas and encounters, it moves all the time. A lot of trends come from Paul Bert Serpette. This market has the particularity to attract people who are anti-conventional. This is the trademark of Paul Bert Serpette and that is what attracts the merchants. I like the exchange of ideas due to the proximity with the other merchants and the renewal of merchandise every week. This forces to remain very active.

Do you have an object that you want to presen t?

At the moment ; I present an exhibition on Santo Sospir, the famous villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat decorated by Jean Cocteau and Madeleine Castaing. On this occasion, we tried to recreate the atmosphere of the place and this is very successful because we found some objects identical to what had been done in Santo Sospir. We present in this framework of fine wickerwork on rattan, including this very pretty planter with embroidery and on which we can see at least five ways to weave the rattan These pieces are also called "workers", because this is the place where ladies put their work such as embroidery, sewing or knitting. These pieces were in the winter gardens where they spent their afternoons in their works.

Today, if one wanted to make fine rattan basketry, one would use this same technique of the hand This work of the material by the hand of the man, that's what I like in the rattan