The Virebent porcelain atelier is a rare thing – a fully functioning factory that still upholds the traditional craftsmanship and practices employed when it was first founded in 1924...
The Virebent porcelain atelier is a rare thing – a fully functioning factory that still upholds the traditional craftsmanship and practices employed when it was first founded in 1924. Situated in the Lot Valley, in the medieval town of Puy L’Eveque, its output initially centred around the prosaic – the porcelain components for electric light fittings. But from the 1970s onwards, creativity took precedence and Virebent’s reputation began to grow as an important site for artists and designers to experiment with pottery and porcelain. What emerged was an eclectic array of tablewear, crockery, furniture and light fixtures, many of which are classics of their time, and which are housed both in prestigious private collections, and on public display in the permanent collection of Paris’ Museum of Decorative Arts.
"The interlinking of the Virebent name with the Parisian perfumerie is entirely apposite, both sharing a vibrant French heritage and a passion for experimentation and design excellence."
The most recent addition to the prestigious list of Virebent collaborators is diptyque, who have called on the atelier's experience and craftsmanship to create the large earthenware pots that house their indoor and outdoor candles. The interlinking of the Virebent name with the Parisian perfumerie is entirely apposite, both sharing a vibrant French heritage and a passion for experimentation and design excellence. As with Virebent, since its foundation in 1961, diptyque has explored an array of different products and specialisms, starting out with wallpaper and fabrics, before focusing their passion on the candles and fragrances that are now their trademark. In the community of the factory, where many of the 11-strong staff have worked for decades, and in the artisan processes of Virebent, with each pot being fashioned by hand in nine distinct stages, diptyque has found a mirror for the heartfelt passion and care that goes into the creation of their own products, which is forever represented in the beauty of the items that remain.
Text by Tish Wrigley
diptyque Indoor and Outdoor candles are available in Figuier, Baies, Feu de Bois and Jasmin.
