139 - Elizabeth Garouste (1946) & Mattia Bonetti (1952)

Elizabeth Garouste (1946) & Mattia Bonetti (1952) Clip Side Down Vase Partially glazed terracotta Edition: En Attendant les Barbares Date of creation: circa 1985 H43 D17.5 cm The Clip Side Down vase is one of the first designs created by the duo Garouste & Bonetti. This piece, made of terracotta and partially glazed in black, was produced in a limited edition of approximately ten pieces for the En Attendant les Barbares gallery. Signed: B.G. and the gallery’s monogram “En Attendant les Barbares” Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti, one of the most famous design duos of the 1980s and 1990s, laid the first major foundation stone of their career at Maison Jansen as early as 1981. At the heart of this institution of period furniture, they created pieces that were both exquisite and primitive, giving rise to the “Barbarian style.” The designers went on to collaborate with the Christian Lacroix fashion house, as well as with the galleries Néotù, En Attendant les Barbares, and David Gill. Over the course of twenty years, they created some of the most iconic works of the second half of the 20th century, such as the Barbare chair, the Masque lamp, and the Lune lamp. The early 2000s marked the end of their collaboration; Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti then pursued their careers independently. It was at Maison Jansen, an institution in the world of period furniture, that the duo laid the first foundation stone of their career in 1981, with pieces that were both exquisite and primitive, giving rise to the “Barbare style.” The “Clip Side Down” vase is among their very first designs: produced in a run of about ten pieces for the En Attendant les Barbares gallery, it combines raw terracotta with partial black glaze, creating a dialogue between archaism and sophistication. For twenty years, Garouste and Bonetti would create works that became iconic, from the Barbare chair to the Lune lamp; this piece documents the beginnings of that journey.