The Pottery of Sampigny

It was an afternoon that went far beyond my expectations. For as long as I had known her, my friend Isabelle at the Cliousclat pottery had been telling me I had to visit Sylvie and François Fresnais. I knew they were in southern Burgundy--theoretically not a difficult stopover on my route from Paris to Haute Provence. Yet I'd taken such a liking to stopping over in Cliousclat on my way down... But habits are made to be broken. I finally made the detour to Sampigny-les-Maranges: The village is nestled in the rolling, opulently green countryside at the border between the Côte d'Or))home to Burgundy's best wines--and the region of Saône et Loire. I was so breathless from the beauty of the flower-spangled meadows I'd just driven through that I passed right by the sign for the pottery that appeared in a flash as I descended into a shady valley.

I crossed a bridge over a rushing stream to a parking area and got out of my car. No one seemed to be about, giving me an undistracted moment to take in my surroundings. A multi-leveled stone building that had clearly been a mill was on my right. On my left, another, smaller building that I took to be the shop. And everywhere, pots, pottery, and a population of ceramic personnages, animals, and other fantastical creatures glimpsed at me from among the greenery. Suddenly, an elfin woman materialized, twinkling her eyes at me. I introduced myself as the friend of the Cliousclat pottery who had called a couple of days earlier, hoping that this would serve as an entry ticket to this magical world. And, by the way, I asked her, was that a fox on the roof?

Sylvie rapidly made me welcome, saying she'd heard about me from Isabel for years already. She introduced me to her husband François, a warm and easy man, who was smudged all over with the red clay he'd been turning. He kicked off his shoes before posing for a photo (main photo above) in front of the shop with Sylvie. But here's Sylvie showing me how to use their medieval watering jar (below).










Sylvie and François were both educated at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Bourges. Because they wanted to learn the ways of a traditional pottery, they did a stint together at the Cliousclat pottery back in the 80's. Then, 24 years ago, they bought a portion of the buildings on this, their present property, and began transforming the place into the artists' oasis it is today. Recently, the mill portion of the building came up for sale, and they bought that too. Now they are busy transforming its spacious rooms into a retreat for artists and exposition space.

After the apprenticeship at Cliousclat, the Fresnais took off on a bicycle trip through Spain and northern Africa, visiting potteries everywhere they went and absorbing the forms and aesthetics of the rich pottery traditions of these areas. In the ensuing years, they have developed their own inimical style, which is as different from that as Cliousclat as, well, night and day. While many of the Fresnais' creations are utilitarian, they are richly detailed and decorated, both in their form and in their glazes and painting.

And unlike the pottery of Cliousclat, which has several potters, Sylvie and François do all the work themselves, dividing it neatly into clay turning and modeling (François) and color and decoration (Sylvie). The combination of their aesthetic skills gives their works a beautifully baroque character you'd recognize anywhere. The glazes and decoration perfectly complement the clay forms in a way which you can't help imagining represents a personal synergy between these married artists.

I suspect it's Sylvie who takes care of the display of items in the shop. Note how the colors in the decorative tiles beneath this pot perfectly echo the decor of the pot itself. Each display in the shop is perfectly and harmoniously orchestrated to make you appreciate the beauty of the pieces.
Their culinary and table production includes many versions of terrines and covered casseroles, platters, bowls of almost infinite variety, and the most baroque tagine dishes I've ever seen. The glazes vary widely, from solid colors to mottled (moucheté) and swirled (jaspé) colors. Many pieces are literally painted à la poire (with the "pear"-shaped squeeze-bulb), a decoration that requires extraordinary freehand skill. This is Sylvie's domaine.

But François' work is just as complex. Before it comes under Sylvie's colorful touch, each piece is ornamented with flutings, imaginative handles, embossings, beading, borders, and even cut designs and openwork (ajouré). In fact, the complexity of the pieces bears testament to a phenomenal command of very diverse techniques inspired not only by French traditions, but also by Moorish and other influences.

The tagine dish (which can be cooked in) at right is a case in point. It's basic form is turned, but then François adds the sculpted flourishes that define the look of the Fresnais' style. I'm quite sure any Moroccan, coming from a culture that adores complex ornamentation, would find this tagine quite beautiful. While I've never found such a tagine dish in North Africa, for me it is still in continuity with a Moroccan aesthetic.

One of my favorite "utilitarian" pieces in the Fresnais inventory was this delightful little étagère or rack of shelves, perfect for displaying small treasures, such as a collection of Moroccan tea glasses, for example.


This piece, although ceramic, is evocative for me of the small wooden shelves one sees in Tunisa and Morocco, that are fancifully painted and sometimes adorned with fretwork. In fact, now that I'm looking at its photo and writing about it, I'm cursing myself for not buying it! I was trying to be good at the time and curb my pottery lust. This platter (photo right), for instance. I would have loved to have taken it home with me. But I refrained. There'll always be another visit...

I'm noticing that most of these photos contain green pieces. Rest assured that the Fresnais work also in brown, red-brown, wheat and golden yellow, and even a bit of blue. I must have been particularly attracted to things green that day.

But the Fresnais work isn't limited to utilitarian objects. They have populated their world with hosts of ceramic beings--you'd call human-form ones personnages in French. Suspended in flight over the boutique, for example, were some benignly mischievous looking angels. I'm not sure of what--if any--religious persuasion they were, but I wouldn't have minded having one as my own private guardian you-know-what.

To see many more of the ceramic flights of fancy of Sylvie and François, stay tuned for my article on their "Potters' Garden" under Au Jardin.

I got the impression that the Fresnais leave their little paradise infrequently. When I asked them about local restaurants, they owned up that they hardly ever ate in them. When I looked around me at the oasis of beauty they'd created--both indoors and out--a personal space in the true sense of the word, I couldn't blame them. I didn't feel much like leaving myself. As I set off to photograph their garden, the Fressnais' personnages peeped at me from the most unexpected places. I felt as if they whispered among themselves as soon as I turned my back, only to turn innocently quiet when I looked at them. Everything about the place--including the garden, the house, the mailbox, the outbuildings--was decorated with pottery.

But in fact, Sylvie and François are far from hermits. They are generous artists with a spirit for adventure. Each year, for nearly 3 weeks in May, the host the PPP--Pots, Plantes, et Paniers--where the host potters, basketmakers, and horticulturists from all over France to expose and sell their wares. You can stop by anytime during the festival. This year's PPP had the theme of birds, so lots of birdbaths, feeders, and nesting boxes were on display. And for several years, the Fresnais have sent ahead a containerful of their wares and flown over the Atlantic for the annual Santa Fe Folk Art Market in mid July If you live in the Southwest, why not take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to purchase the wondrous works of Sulvie and François Fresnais, who have had the enthusiasm to fly them halfway around the world for you!



La Poterie de Sampigny-les-Maranges
71150 Sampigny-les-Maranges
Tél +33 (0)3 85 91 12 99
The Pottery's website--English version available!!
Email: poterie-fresnais@wanadoo.fr

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Products of Interest:
Medieval rain jar