The Cult of Astier de Villatte

When you first come to encounter Astier de Villatte, nestled into its own store-within-a-store on our third floor, you would be forgiven for thinking you had just entered a cabinet of curiosities. With its delicately-iced milky white (not grey, nor ivory) glaze and the uneven rusticity of each piece, the result is decidedly calming considering the vastness of the collection - and the closest thing to escapism in ceramics as you’ll ever find. Surprisingly light to hold, much less weighty than they appear, every plate, platter and pot speaks to a Parisian luxury that has defined the cult world of Astier de Villatte.

Founded in 1996 after experimenting with a kiln inherited from his father, Benoît Astier de Villatte joined forces with his art school peer Ivan Pericoli and the pair turned their attention to ceramics. A flagship store and artisan workshop followed suit in 2000, and has persevered over two decades to be the only studio still making ceramics in Paris to this day. Each piece starts as a single sheet of black terracotta clay extracted from quarries in the Paris Basin, and is hand shaped by Tibetan artisans to leave deliberate imperfections and is inscribed with each potter’s initials. The makers, a team of some 70 ex-monks, chant while they sculpt and glaze and stamp; and are encouraged by Villatte and Pericoli to produce with a good spirit, so that the piece look almost alive. Everything is produced slowly, with soul, giving the collection a playful nature without being too far set from tradition.

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Simply put, Astier is a brand that must be discovered in real life. Delicate though they may be, the pieces are made for handling - turning over, inspecting, admiring. The blank palette is something that needs to be seen to be understood, the way the glaze can retreat from the surface of the clay, or the witty manner in which long-term collaborator John Derian continues to decorate selected dishes in his distinctive decoupage style.

There’s much to ponder about an understated ceramic brand that has managed to woo shoppers so eloquently that it has built a cult-like fanbase of collectors and admirers. Perhaps it is due to the historical air of each piece, or their artisanal handmade nature, or maybe more notably the witty collaborations the brand has enjoyed over the years - what remains true is that Astier de Villatte’s things are, for many, the epitome of a certain lived-in kind of luxury.

Just ask our trusted collectors…

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“I love Astier because it’s totally unique and it has that artisan feel. Although it’s precious in nature, we use it everyday and enjoy it. I don’t save best for best, I believe in using and enjoying the pieces. My latest purchase is a gorgeous piece with Woodstock on top: I appreciate brands with a sense of humour - after all, life is for living. I have built my personal collection over many years, some pieces are gifts but mostly I celebrate life’s happy moments by buying a piece of Astier.”

“I happened upon Astier de Villatte when I was studying in Paris in the late 90s, and was immediately taken with the aesthetics of the ceramics. I'd never seen anything like it - the dark clay, the white wash, uniform across all the pieces. I loved how kind of loose and wobbly the forms were, classical without being overly disciplined. Over the years, whenever I had a little money, I started collecting pieces: a jar, a dish, a jug for my mother for Christmas, a platter here and there. It became a ritual: every time I sold a book I bought a piece. When I sold [my book] Flâneuse I bought an AdV mug that commemorates the Paris Commune. I have just signed the contract for my next book, and have had my eye on the tricolore dinner plates, or the colour wheel plate - so I will probably expand my collection soon!”

“I am fortunate enough to be well-versed in the world of Astier, as Liberty’s Buying Director, and have been lulled into collecting pieces for my own home thanks to their minimalist, classic design that mimics my own. Having just begun my personal ‘collection’ of Astier pieces - I currently have some mugs and a few vases - I am working on scaling up my collection to fill my house, at least one piece in every room is the goal.”