Christofle: a brilliant history to discover at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
From November 14, 2024 to April 20, 2025, the MAD in Paris celebrates Christofle with a unique exhibition. The editorial team is eager to tell you all about it!
This retrospective highlights the evolution of Christofle since its founding in the 1830s by Charles Christofle and Henri Bouilhet. Over 600 pieces of silverware, paintings, drawings and posters plunge visitors into the world of this iconic house. The exhibition is an immersive journey. It reveals how this house revolutionized the lines and decorations of silver, while remaining rooted in the French art of living.
Exceptional expertise
Christofle has never ceased to innovate in terms of design and craftsmanship. The company has teamed up with some of the world’s greatest designers. Gio Ponti, Andrée Putman, Karl Lagerfeld and even Pharrell Williams have brought an avant-garde touch to traditional silversmithing. The exhibition showcases this abundant diversity of creations. These range from small spoons to monumental pieces of furniture exhibited at major World Fairs.
Each room in the exhibition transports you into the history of this legendary house. From its earliest successes with silver-plated goldsmiths to its most contemporary collaborations. Christofle’s expertise is revealed through demonstrations of silver and gold-plating processes, as well as the meticulous manufacture of a simple fork. ” Christofle, une brillante histoire” takes you behind the scenes. The secrets of a craft where chemistry and electricity mingle with art to sublimate everyday gestures are revealed.
Christofle, ambassador of French luxury
Since the Second Empire under Napoleon III, Christofle has equipped the world’s greatest palaces, hotels and restaurants. Majestic dinner services were created for iconic locations such as the Ritz, the Normandie and the famous Orient-Express. The exhibition lets you relive these exceptional moments. The sumptuous tables of diplomatic receptions or luxurious voyages by liner or plane are set identically.
Discover how Christofle has adapted to changing customs while remaining true to its spirit of innovation. From the Tour d’Argent duck press to on-board service on the Concorde, Christofle is a tribute to the French art of living.
Contemporary because eternal
The exhibition also shows how the company perpetuates its style and makes its mark on the times. Since the 1990s, Christofle has collaborated with international designers such as Sylvain Dubuisson, Jean-MarieMassaud and Christian Lacroix to create daring pieces.
By reinterpreting everyday objects, such as video game consoles and sneaker boxes, Christofle enters our lives with refinement. The second floor of the exhibition features a museographed boutique. Here you can admire the full range of Christofle creations, from iconic flatware to tea sets.
From November 14, 2024 to April 20, 2025, it takes place in the Christine & Stephen A. Schwarzman galleries at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Schwarzman galleries at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
