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 From the " Faubourg " to Asia
A "faubourg" is a small town or village built just outside the ancient walls of Paris, they are now part of the inner-city. "Faubourg Saint-Antoine" since the sixteenth century has been the nest of all crafts involved in decoration, furniture and cabinet making. Unfortunately the price of Paris inner-city real estate is driving the artisans out. (Translator´s remark)
Arnaud Rist, cabinetmaker and craftsman specialized in restoring eighteenth century furniture, is holding his ground and has launched into active resistance.
Letting go of his workshop in the "Faubourg", or giving up his work as an artisan was out of the question for Arnaud Rist; so to save his business he converted to "Ming" and added commerce to his activity. As luck would have it... yes Arnaud got lucky the day he came across a book on Classical Ming dynasty furniture at the library. The sheer elegance, the perfect simplicity of the Ming design fell right in with his own aesthetic values; there laid before him was the road to China.
[...] First trip in 1997, first collection discovered much like a treasure in his Parisian workshop. Arnaud chooses each piece with the eye and the passion of the craftsman. Refusing to import massively mediocre furniture, he aims to offer his custom carefully selected nineteenth century antiques along with the occasional sixteen or seventeenth century piece.
To the heavily ornamented and typically "Asian" style furniture Arnaud Rist has opted for the elegant Ming design.
[...] "Modern Style" before the 1930´s the Ming design has the same quality of "exuberant simplicity" found in the "Ecole de Nancy" furniture.
Régine Heurteur
Extract from the "PORTRAIT" of the June 1999
issue of MAISON DECORATION
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Discovering new outlets
COMPTOIR DE LA MAIN D'OR - ELLE DECORATION n°87 - Mai 1999.
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Arnaud Rist: affordable antique furniture
The art of antique hunting in China. - Le Figaro Magazine Saturday 29 april 1999.
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