This bowl is made in the old glazed pottery workshop »Moulin de Loup« near Valenciennes, in a style typical of the 19th century, with a raised pedestal base. They were more often seen in less well-off households in the poorer region around Horchis, where people were more likely to drink coffee made from chicory rather than coffee beans. The pattern, which is characteristic of rural artefacts, dates from the beginning of last century.  » shop now...

Many ancient towns – not to mention whole regions – used to base their prosperity and influence on salt. The oldest method of salt-making was by evaporation of sea-water in flat basins that produced salt-crystals. ‘Fleur de Sel’, scooped up in wafer-thin layers by wooden hand shovels, is the highest quality of salt still made in this way. Later, salt came to be mined underground, and produced in saltworks after a lengthy purification process.

The salt comes from the southern coastal region of Majorca, already popular with the Romans and Phoenicians. » shop now...

Our notebooks come from southern Germany and bear witness to a harmonious marriage between beauty of design and functionality seldom found these days. Our idea was to use 3-mm thick cowhide, seam-free and with reinforced edges, for binding a book-sized writing pad: seemingly a technical impossibility. A solution came to us in the form of an insert studded on to the inside of the leather cover; this gave us another idea, not to 'bind' the writing block on to the cover, but to put it in loose so it could be replaced when full. The final result is an opulent, elegant yet unpretentious notebook with a fantastic feel, whose price will be covered many times over by a lifetime of use. » shop now...

The well-known firm of Zeta set up an automatic technology workshop on their own premises in 2005 which established the Nomos marque as a player in the precision chronometer market. Their watches have since done well and attracted customers, which is why we've included them in our range – the Tangomat (with date display), is for example, the most sophisticated successor to date of the classic Tangente model. Its extra-large movement (34.65 mm diameter) gives it maximum accuracy. The centre rotor is of solid heavy metal, and bigger than in most automatic watches, giving it superior winding capacity. Rotor and spring are finely tuned to one another. » shop now...

The classic hurricane lamp, made in Germany for more than ninety years. It served for building site security until ousted by flashing battery lamps. There are cheaper copies from the Far East but a comparison is definitely a waste of time.

The Firehand has no sharp edges. It is protected against rust by high-gloss hot tinning (which does not, of course, equip it for several months outside), has a paraffin container which is guaranteed leak-proof and heat-resistant, anti-break glass. Spare parts available from us at any time. Height 26 cm. Weight 500 g.
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You’ll notice that the stripes are in groups of seven – these stand for the seven Basque provinces in Spain and France, while in the old days the width of the stripes used to indicate the wealth and social position of the family in question. The cloths were originally used as ‘mantes à boeuf’ – covers used to protect oxen from sun and insects while they worked in the fields. Later on they came to be used for table- and kitchen-cloths, and today the patterned cloth is still used for table-linen. The hard-wearing, easy-care cloth has been manufactured since 1910 in the south of France, mainly for country use. It’s a linen and cotton mix, and the coloured stripes are of more delicate sateen cotton. » shop now...

The trousers get their character from the sturdy material they’re made of, which will after one or two wearings ‚work’ itself into your body shape and give you a great fit. They’re straight-cut with two wide front pockets. They have a back yoke, adjustable by means of straps and a buckle. The waist-band has extra-large belt-loops. Two seat patch pockets, one with flap and concealed stud. The trademark ‘red thread stripe’ runs down the right leg parallel to the side seam, and is also in evidence on the seat pocket flap and the straps. We’ve had these trousers made of the same quality canvas material as used for Swiss Army tents. » shop now...

Journalists would probably accord it cult status. We can only say that it does have a certain cachet in Spain and Italy. The formula has not changed since 1932; it is neither mild nor modern, but it soothes the skin and reduces inflammation after shaving - and before for that matter. Some perfumes have become classics over the years, despite prevailing fashion trends. Some have been on the market for a hundred years or more - and all because the parfumier managed to create a unique fragrance, full of character - something which squared the circle. Some of these classics are in this selection. » shop now...

»Wipe your feet!« must be one of the most frequently used phrases in the history of mankind. No matter if we choose to live in a cave, a hut, a tent or a stylish loft apartment in Canary Wharf: some things should best be left on the doorstep, or rather, wiped off on a proper doormat. It is unlikely that you have yet had anything quite like this under your shoes. This mat made from strong zinc-coated wire mesh covered with extra tough coconut fibre comes from a coconut textile works in West-Germany. A rubber underlay makes it non-slip and the combination of fibres and wires traps the dirt from boots. » shop now...

For more than 30 years, Compact has been manufacturing stone building block sets with baked red bricks and roof tiles, mortar and untreated wooden components, which enable children to creatively construct houses, bridges and castles. In this case, the mortar contains totally harmless powdered clay and starch. As it is water-soluble, the construction can subsequently be disassembled. Approx. 230 bricks, about 200 roof tiles, 7 ridge tiles, 38 pine beams of various sizes. With instructions, in a cardboard box. Completed doll's house: For children of age 10 and older. » shop now...

All the products in this section have been made for us by a remarkable Austrian firm specializing since the mid-1980s in high-quality hammocks, hammock frames and accessories. Apart from the raw materials used – the cloth, wood and metal screws and hooks – everything is done on the same premises: the weaving, the carpentry, the metal work – everything! 'Luxurious' in two senses – not only is the cloth of a superlative quality that you can feel at the first touch, but the manufacturers have really taken the time to produce a first-class article. In the double hammock, for example, a total of 1,400 (!) continuous threads have been used, every single one of which is attached to the suspension lines, meaning that there are no irritating knots or loose thread ends. » shop now...