Parisian Summer | A Fragile Strength at Blanche Patine

It is now the beginning of the descent into autumn here in the Midwest, and year after year, this transitional time between seasons proves to be an exhale for my nervous system. The frenzied pace of summer slows just enough to process, emotionally, physically. There is a little more space to sift through summer abundance & memories, carefully tucking them away in jars & journals. A chance to recount the delicious moments passed.

This year, our family had quite the summer adventure. Our first time as a family abroad, and we had the most exquisite, bittersweet time in Europe. I cannot wait to share more details and stories from our trip. We had planned to travel in July to Paris, France to visit my paternal uncle and Basel, Switzerland to visit my maternal uncle. My parents, brother, aunt, Aj and the kids and I planned a pilgrimage of sorts to connect with family. Little did we know when planning the trip in January, July would be too late for my uncle. How much six months can change! At 56 years young, he passed in late May after a quick and aggressive battle with cancer. Devastating, he left behind a beloved partner and two boys, close in age to our own children. All the more reason to connect with family, to make new memories & to share in our grief.

We had planned our travel and itinerary with getting to see him as soon as possible and less about the adventuring in the places we were visiting. They were a bonus but secondary to connection. As the dates for travel approached, I realized last minute I would narrowly miss the Marché aux puces or the Parisian markets both Saturdays we were there. A little bummed out but mostly grateful, I happened upon Blanche Patine on Instagram and knew I needed to make a visit happen.

I reached out to Cécile to make an appointment, not knowing what I would find. I used my broken French from my summer abroad in Paris to try my best to communicate and learn more about the offerings in this sweet place. Cecile offers a beautiful collection of French tableware called Terre de Fer dating from the end of the 19th century - beginning of the 20th century. She becomes the storyteller of these remarkable ceramic pieces. she travels to markets and homes to unearth these vintage plates all over France and brings them to her studio in Paris to share their stories & resilience. It has become her specialty and expertise of which she I releasing a book Terre de fer - Collections de céramique française on October 9th!

*Repairing what is seemingly broken. Cécile's work of around four months. Kintsugi in black.*

I spent a few hours with Cécile looking through the pieces, connecting over the challenges of running a small business, our passions and the stories, memories and importance of caring and loving pieces from the past with a history and stories. All the hands that have washed the pieces at the kitchen sink, the meals lovingly served, and laughter and life they have seen.

She shared her favorite pieces and some of the pieces she has brought back to life with the Japanese art of Kintsugi, golden (“kin”) and repair (“tsugi”). The process of repairing ceramics traditionally with lacquer and gold, leaving a gold seam where the cracks were. We discussed how remarkable these pieces some 250 years old are, a shining example of delicate strength. A fragile resilience. Being handled and used and still thriving years after their conception, outlasting us all.

“Kintsugi teaches us that in life we can turn adversity into something that is beautiful and resilient. Kintsugi shows us that in time, we can heal from our wounds, embrace our imperfections, and become stronger. Kintsugi reminds us that no matter our difficulties, we can find a way to reframe and find meaning in life.” Mayo Clinic

I was so grateful to meet a kindred soul & connect through shared vision. You can meet Cécile and her curated collection of hand picked antique ceramics Terre de Fer by appointment at the Blanche Patine Showroom located at 29 rue des Vinaigriers in Paris 10th arrondissement, you can purchase from her online shop or at her instagram account.

Keep your eyes open for her upcoming book Terre de fer - Collections de céramique française to learn more and support her work, I can’t wait to see what magic she created inside the pages.

A bientôt, Alyson.