SAVONNERIE

The know-how called “Savonnerie” in French is related to the weaver’s craft, imported in France in the 17^th century. It was set up in a renovated soap factory in Paris. Discover this unique know-how brought back to life.

The Savonnerie technique

Imported from Turkey in 1627, this craft consists in producing velvet carpets. It was imported under the reign of Louis XIII who decided to develop this manufacture. Few years later, under the reign of Louis XIV, Colbert, Minister of Finance, decided to reduce imports of Italian and Flemish luxury goods. Therefore, in 1663, he set up many royal manufactures to promote the transfer of skills in France. The carpets produced by these royal factories were reserved for the king and his court to furnish their residences. Under the Old Regime and the Empire, orders were frequent. In 1826 the factory was transferred to the Gobelins site. In 1964, a second production site of the Manufacture de la Savonnerie was created in Lodève.

This know-how is practised on a high loom and consists in creating an ornamented carpet using a succession of knots. The first step is to create a design, also known as a “carton”. The second stage is the setting up of the horizontal frame with warp threads (warping), and the vertical frame with weft threads. Then, the weaver begins his succession of knots on either side of the frames (front/back) along the entire length of the loom, from left to right. Once a line has been completed, it is tamped to ensure a good line. Finally, the shearing step reveals the velvet and volumes of the carton.

Font et Romani

Font et Romani is a workshop created in 2022 by two craftswomen trained at the Manufacture de la Savonnerie (training at Mobilier National). Laureates 2023 of the Fondation Rémy Cointreau, the transmission of their knowledge is one of their most important. They want to make this know-how, widely known, as it is practised nowhere else, and to explore new forms of creation. In fact, their works are new kind of sculptures in volume.