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Enamelled lava in France
Enamel-on-lava artisan, enamelled lava, enamelling workshop: these are terms — and a craft — that remain largely unfamiliar. Here is a look back at the
history of enamelled lava in France
, from its origins to the present day, with stops in Paris and, of course, Auvergne.
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the early days in Paris
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1827: the discovery of enamelled lava
Ferdinand Mortelèque — a maker of vitrifiable paints and a painter on porcelain and glass — regretted that he could not achieve the same results on enamel, since earthenware shrank as soon as it was exposed to the heat of refiring. In 1827, he encountered Volvic stone, and within only a few weeks he had developed an enamelling process suited to lava. During this experiment, now regarded as the discovery of lava enamelling, he produced the head of an old man.
In 1831, Ferdinand Mortelèque transferred the rights to this lava-enamelling process to his son-in-law, Pierre Hachette.
1847: the beginnings of enamelled lava in Paris
Jules Jollivet — French painter and lithographer — happened to meet Pierre Hachette, discovered enamel painting on lava, and in 1844 successfully completed his first trial in the medium. He then obtained from Rambuteau, Prefect of the Seine, a commission for a Holy Trinity for the porch of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Church in Paris. The Holy Trinity was installed in 1848.
After Pierre Hachette’s death in 1847, the company was taken over by François Gillet. In 1855, he set up premises at 9 rue Fénelon, where the façade can still be admired for its decoration in enamelled lava, notably a frieze depicting the inventors of enamel, including Mortelèque, Jollivet and Gillet on the right-hand side.
Enamelled lava arrives in Auvergne
In 1898, Maurice Seurat set up the first lava-enamelling workshop in Mozac: “L’Usine de lave émaillée Saint-Martin”. Until then, the lava came from Auvergne, but the enamelling itself had been carried out in Paris.
This workshop would go on to produce more than 95% of France’s orientation tables. Throughout the twentieth century, it enjoyed remarkable growth, exporting orientation tables, river gauges, laboratory benches and numerous pieces for signage, civil engineering and architecture across the world.
In 1948, Yves Seurat succeeded his father at the head of the workshop. It finally closed for good in 1982.
Enamelled lava today
From its discovery in the nineteenth century to the present day, enamelled lava has travelled a long and remarkably varied path.
It became a true masterpiece through religious paintings; it embodied the spirit of Art Nouveau on the façades of La Samaritaine; it marked the urban landscape through street-number plaques and the rural landscape through Michelin milestones; it found its way into our homes through kitchen and bathroom worktops; and it conquered hotels and restaurants with durable, customisable furnishings.
Today, enamelled lava is still very much alive. It continues to be valued for its many technical qualities and the vast range of custom possibilities it offers.
Creating enamelled lava pieces is still possible today because passionate craftspeople continue to keep this ancestral know-how alive, producing unique, high-quality works.
Enamelled lava has always found its place across a wide variety of fields — and it still does.
In France,
enamelled lava comes mainly from Auvergne.
The profession of lava enameller
is now included among the trades recognised as fine crafts, thanks to the specialised know-how and high level of technical expertise that lava enamelling requires.
Enamelled lava: our expertise
