Corinne Jordan Gros, a former marketing and communications specialist, has been fascinated—make that obsessed—by traditional French manufacturing for a while (she even wrote a book called The French Manufacturers, exploring the history of Gallic industry). So when Manufacture de Digoin, the oldest pottery in the Loire Valley, went out of business not long ago (at its peak, it employed 220 people), she took the leap and raised money to buy it and restore the ovens and production facilities. Her mission? To take a creative and contemporary approach to production, introducing new colors and more refined shapes. It's still the early days, but with Parisian concept shop Merci on board, the future looks promising.
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Above: For a collaboration with Japanese brand Muji, Merci included Manufacture de Digoin ceramics (a vinegar pot and diable phenix pot).
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Above: The Vinaigrier Digoin is €75.91 ($86.60) from Amazon.
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Above: A batch of earthenware drinking vessels.
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Above: The diable phenix is an earthenware roasting pot for use on a stovetop or directly in a fire.
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Above: The Manufacture de Digoin vinegar pot in black.
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Above: A classic storage bottle.
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Above: Manufacture de Digoin bread baker.
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Above: A batter bowl with cobalt blue rim.
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Above: Manufacture de Digoin nesting bowls
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Above: The company's stamp.
Ready to make a pilgrimage? The pottery is located in the Loire Valley town of Digoin in Bourgogne and welcomes visitors. For more information, go to Manufacture de Digoin.
Browse more of our favorite Traditional Ceramics:
- Object Lessons: The Mason Cash Mixing Bowl
- Ceramics that Once Lived in the White House
- Spatterware Ceramics from Italy and Trend Alert: 10 Splatter Patterns
- Poterie Renault: A Fifth-Generation Pottery in France
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