Artisans of Marolles

Jean Touret moved to Pezay, a rural area near Marolles, in 1946. While there, he became highly conscious of the uncertainty that industrial development would bring to the future of the local craftsmen. Believing strongly in the value of the artisan tradition, Touret decided to informally organize a local group of artisans into a collective, becoming their artistic director. Employing the talents of each member, he orchestrated the creation of furniture which embodied the circumstances of the epoch.

The furniture designed by the Marolles group under Touret’s direction was guided by the concept of minimalism and a simplistic integrity achieved through the use of wood and iron: materials he considered to be organic and expressive. Each piece was conceived to serve an essential purpose, and was produced in limited edition