Objet de Curiosité, wonders of the world and beyond

Grange-Jaricot and his wife, Lilau, collect curiosities. And what started out as simply their passion has since grown into a fully-fledged business. Their appropriately named firm, ‘Objet de Curiosité’, supplies customers with astonishing, rare and poetic finds, the kind only nature itself can supply. Prehistoric wonders, rare stones, astonishing insects… So when a gigantic piece of extra-terrestrial chondrite hurtled through the earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 12 miles per second, it was literally a gift from the heavens. All it took was a few quick calls for a fragment of the “Chelyabinsk Meteor” to find its way into Grange-Jaricot’s letterbox, courtesy of Ural Federal University. He’d made a point of negotiating an “oriented” fragment with clearly visible flow lines in its fusion crust, indicating the direction of approach. Cue Lilau, who then got to work tastefully flaunting this exquisite alien’s features in a traditional curiosity cabinet-style display. Since meteorites all contain iron, it didn’t take long for her to find the perfect way of showcasing its attributes, using two magnets to suspend the fragment mid-air in an elegant case. Pure magic.

It’s by no means unusual for certain individuals to spend their entire afternoon marvelling at the pieces on display at the pair’s MAISON&OBJET stand. “They clearly feel like children again – you can see it in their eyes” explains Lilau with a smile. It’s the same story every single time: visitors’ eyes are initially caught by the multi-hued array of stones and the elegantly styled decor, part Tim Burton, part Jules Verne. And then they get reeled in by the fascinating stories of Pierre-Emmanuel’s quests. His network of contacts includes Siberian reindeer herders, who have been known to discover mammoths frozen in the ice. He’s on first name terms with the world’s best entomologists, from the forests of Costa Rica to the rice paddies of Java. On returning home, it’s even been known for his suitcase to be laden with lacrymatories, tiny antique vessels filled with tears that followed the dearly departed to their tombs. “He’s usually off travelling the world for two weeks each month”, explains Lilau.

“Our pieces are unique. Seeing them first-hand triggers emotion. It’s the trade fair that makes that happen”

 

Pierre-Emmanuel’s passion for entomology, the study of insects, began when he was a child, then naturally growing into a love of geology whilst fossil hunting in the Ardèche mountains. Multicoloured jasper sketches out Picasso-esque forms, labradorite emits a dazzling sheen, Indonesian Garut stone, sliced like an agate, can reveal landscapes worthy of a Japanese print. Every single item comes with its own QR code, unlocking access to its unique background story. Pierre-Emmanuel’s family were the founders of Lyons-based furniture manufacturer, Grange, which meant he grew up living and breathing design. Lilau was a librarian. When the family business was eventually sold at the turn of the XXIst century, the couple decided to launch their very own self-styled brand. Lilau designs wallpaper with nature-inspired patterns, furniture and sophisticated accessories. She’s the creative mind responsible for framing, arranging and staging the couple’s curiosities, often looking to the XIXth century for inspiration. She loves nothing more than working her magic on flea market finds, painting Henri II or 1930s furnishings black and then switching up a few small details to give them a decidedly modern vibe, their neo-Renaissance or Art Deco style a nod to the curiosity cabinets of days gone by. Twice a year for the past twenty years, MAISON&OBJET has become their showroom. “Coming here was the obvious choice when we first started out, as Grange used to exhibit here every year”, smiles Lilau. “MAISON&OBJET has made us what we are today, and we wouldn’t miss it for the world. Our pieces are unique. Seeing them first-hand triggers emotion, and it’s the trade fair that makes that happen”.

By Caroline Tossan