CURIOUS, adj. & n. (…), said mainly of he who has the desire to learn, to see fine things, the marvels of art and Nature. (…), also said of he who collects the rarest, finest, and most extraordinary things he has been able to find in both the arts and Nature." Antoine Furetière, Universal Dictionary, 1690
Index: - Concept - History of the company - Savoir faire - Products - Sales network - Organization - Economic model
Concept:
F
irst appearing during the Renaissance in Europe, the 'curiosity cabinet' was the forerunner of the natural history museum. It was a place where objects collected with a certain taste for diversity and the unusual could be kept and displayed. What we wanted to do was bring this passion up to date and incorporate it into the world of interior design, so as to combine the beauty of Nature with the aesthetics of a place and a period. We are constantly on the look-out around the world to unearth natural or cultural curiosities so as to create interior design objects that are rare – and most of the time unique. We seek to make something beautiful out of the extraordinary things created by Nature.
"There is a study cabinet with books covering very diverse subject areas, and full of objects to satisfy anyone's curiosity. Therein can be found a great number of antique medals and bronze sculptures, as well as very beautiful natural marvels, such that the cabinet is rightly known in these parts as 'Noah's Ark'." Cesare Vercellio, 1590
History: OBJET DE CURIOSITE was created in 2001 thanks to Pierre-Emmanuel Grange-Jaricot. It all started from a boundless passion for Nature and its curiosities. Even as a child, Pierre-Emmanuel used to keep insects and went out collecting fossils around the villages in Ardèche. Later, having become a punk, he set to work painting Henri II sideboards pink (rather hard to sell in those days). Over time, and as he traveled around, he started to put together a real 'Curiosity Cabinet' of his very own. Very much in touch with fashion trends, his wife Lilau found a way of setting this passion within an interior design context. Their world has been enriched with a whole range of chairs, lamps, and machines that might have existed‌ Since then, the company has grown, and yet has managed to hold on to this very curious, relaxed spirit. The new staff, from very atypical backgrounds, are continuing to nurture this concept. Together, they continue to seek out, to invent, and to create.
Savoir-faire :
Our savoir-faire has two sides to it. We travel the world in search of out-of-the-ordinary animals, plants, or minerals. A network we've been built up over a period of time keeps us informed about the latest discoveries. The company has acquired a unique style in terms of re-purposing. Each find is handled on an individual basis. In this way, after due reflection, it goes from being a simple natural object to become an exceptional, cultural piece of design. Our unique style of presentation lets us display our objects in very varied settings, from the Baroque to the contemporary.
"This is the moment true collectors can be spotted. They don't care about fashion. They transcend Time." Jean Ethier-Blais, 1962
Products:
Mechanism
lamps,
Radiometers,
Casino
armchairs,
Flying
meteorite,
Bookcase, Snake skeleton, Vases, 13-branch
candlesticks, Giant easel, Leather coffee table, Barnacles, Spiny gorgon coral, Freud sculptures, Pictures, Eiffel console, Pedestal table, Tracer stools, Fossil-opening machine, Metal tortoise, Entada seed,
Coral, Crocodile skull, Swordfish rostrum, Butterfly
in a globe, Telescope, Articulated magnifying-glass, Giant medal,
Herbarium,
Labradorite, Septaria, Copper cachepot, Pyrite,
Calcite, Amethyst, Baroque clock, Dumb waiter, Palm leaf, Iron mirror, Exploded goliath beetle, Starfish in a globe,
Crab
collection, Coptic crosses, Leather-bound books, Mother-of-pearl nautiluses, Globe, Buffalo horns, Insect boxes, Ostrich-egg candle-holder, Terra cotta camel, Stick insect, Bone balls, Box with
goliath beetle, Machine for magnifying butterflies, Mushrooms on base, Industrial light-fitting, Library lamp post, Fish jawbone, Parrot skeleton, Beaten copper light-fitting, Extending wall-light, Tyre pouffe, Barber's chair, Counterweighted wall-light, Ceramic koi carp, Red gorgon coral ‌
Organization:
Pierre-Emmanuel Sales Director / Adventurer pierre-emmanuel@objetdecuriosite.fr Lilau Administration Director / Stylist lilau@objetdecuriosite.fr Laurence Customer relations laurence@objetdecuriosite.com Nathalie Export CITES manager nathalie@objetdecuriosite.fr SĂŠb Press relations seb@objetdecuriosite.fr Josette Product quality department
Distribution:
Economic model:
O
ur success is based on a slimmed-down collective of 9 people. Coming from all sorts of different backgrounds, each member has been able to enrich the collective with innovative methods of working and original creations. This group is supplemented by networks of advanced skills in France and around the world. With nearly 600 lines in addition to the one-off pieces, for everything that is 'tailor-made' we work as far as possible on a local scale, as well as with specialists all round the world for more specific techniques. The small size of our team doesn't prevent us having a presence in more than 57 countries, with over 1,600 customers (stores and interior designers).
"Curiously, the world isn't finished. Neither are curiosity cabinets…"
CONTACT Sébastien JARICOT Press relations seb@objetdecuriosité.com Tel.: 06-81.18.76.21