Journey to the heart of Emaux de Longwy

There are some worlds that will always have me dreaming. Such as the workshops. Kind of like the Eiffel Tower that lights up every hour, they get up every morning and come to life until the day turns into night and everything goes back to silence. Well… that’s without counting the singing of Emaux de Longwy. Because even when they are out of the oven, the pieces continue to “crack”. A sweet melody to show they are done! They are coming to life.

Located in Lorraine, the pottery factory created in 1798 would have shut down several times. But thanks to new investors, it is celebrating its 220th anniversary this year! Attracted by their mascot, “Fiori di Mela”, a little owl available in all colors who has made it to social networks all over the world (even to the desk of Brigitte Macron! Oui madame!) Like Amélie Poulain’s garden dwarfs; I decided to go meet these artisans who share a pride for their company as well as for their president, Martin Pietri. Passionate about French art-de-vivre, he is one of the few who understood the challenges of conserving our know-how. Today Emaux de Longwy (labeled EPV, Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant – Living Heritage Company) has collaborations with contemporary artists like Lukas Works , Nicolas de Waël, Vincent Darré, and is considered a undeniable French luxury house. Visit.

Creating the molds, casting the slip, and removing the pieces without damaging them. Here, the labor’s hands are inevitable for every step.

After the first round in the oven, it’s time for the decoration. It can be hand-drawn directly on the piece or printed with a synthetic textile and UV lamp.

To reach the colour, a chemist mixes the crystal powder with a pigment. He can create more than 1000 different colors !

It was never a question of lay off to survive. We would have made use of two hands at a time and their exceptional know-how !

Martin Pietri, President of  Émaux de Longwy

Textes : Jessica Lia – Photographs : Alexis Chaillous