A SOCIAL AND PATRIMONIAL RESPONSIBILITY
As befits a custodian of time-honored expertise, Bernardaud strives to pass on vital knowledge of its craft under the best possible conditions. The company plays an important role in society by taking the time to train apprentices and students from art, design or ceramics schools. For instance, it takes a beginner two years to learn the art of spinning.
Bernardaud often sends experienced professionals to give talks at schools about porcelain-related crafts and encourage young people to follow in the footsteps of well-known master artisans.
CRAFTSMANSHIP REWARDS
Some of Bernardaud’s craftsmen have been singled out for their talent and fine work. Chief modeler Christian Brunet and later Stéphane Bonneau, trained by Brunet, have both been honored by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication for ‘‘their skills, experience and knowledge of their craft and their dedication to passing them on to younger artisans that will perpetuate them in turn.’’ That same year, he was also awarded the prestigious honorary title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
As part of an initiative by the Comité Colbert to promote know-how, Fernand Pénichon, head of decor development, was awarded the insignia of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2016, as was Franck Brillat, porcelain enameller, in 2021.
BERNARDAUD AND THE COMITÉ COLBERT
Created in 1954 on the initiative of the inspired Jean-Jacques Guerlain, the Comité Colbert (association loi 1901) has placed itself under the tutelary shadow of King Louis XIV Superintendent of Arts and Manufactures, founder of the Comédie Française and great exporter of French talent.
The idea was simple: to restore a taste for the French art of living after the years of war and deprivation, by bringing together on an equal footing the great names of the various crafts embodying a certain French genius, in a place that would be a meeting point for the exchange of ideas and joint reflection specific to the luxury industry.
Particularly committed to this vision, Pierre Bernardaud joined the Comité Colbert in 1962. Michel Bernardaud was elected President of the Comité Colbert in 2012 for 4 years.
THE CERAMICS COMPETITIVENESS CLUSTER
Since July 2005, the campaign to gain recognition for skilled artisans has been part of a program to develop a ‘Ceramics Competitiveness Cluster’. The idea is to build cooperation between businesses, research institutes and training centers to form a platform conducive to growth.
