Accolay

ACCOLAY

In 1944, four friends left Paris and the atmosphere of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to escape obligatory work in Germany. They arrived at the professional college of ceramics in Cluny (Saône-et-Loire), where Alexandre Kostanda introduced them to the art of pottery. Their first creations were simple ceramic buttons for their own use.

By the end of 1945, Christian Dior had founded his maison de couture. He approached André Boutaud and his friends to produce buttons for his new collection, along with brooches and other pieces of jewelry. The four young apprentices made around 300 works. What might have remained a one-off commission turned into a breakthrough when fashion magazines showcased Dior’s new collection. After the war, ceramic buttons became a fashion item in their own right.

As success grew, the four decided to form a community. On October 26, 1945, they settled in an old, unused factory in the village of Accolay in the Yonne region of Burgundy. By 1946, the factory was producing more than 3,000 ceramic buttons and jewelry pieces - multicolored, extraordinary designs in countless shapes: animal, vegetal, gold tinted, and more.

In 1948, as fashion trends shifted, the group expanded into functional ceramics, decorative objects, photo frames, fruit baskets, and small sculptures. A large part of the village population found work in their studios and sales operations. Service stations on the road to the South of France began selling Accolay ceramics, bringing more visibility and traffic, particularly along the N6 and N7.

The Accolay potters continued their success well into the 1970s, until the petrol crisis. The adventure of these four young students, who became known as Les Potiers d’Accolay, deserves to be remembered for its remarkable success and for the lasting memories of their 30 glorious years (1945–1975).