The history

François-Émile Décorchemont was a French ceramicist and glassmaker, widely regarded as one of the foremost 20th-century artisans of the pâte de verre technique. Born on May 26, 1880 in Conches-en-Ouche (Eure-et-Loir), he was the son of a sculptor and studied at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

After brief experiments with ceramics from 1902, Décorchemont turned to glass in 1903, seeking to revive the ancient pâte de verre process. By the 1910s, he had achieved exceptional results: luminous, richly coloured items with subtle tonal gradations.

His early pieces – small decorative bowls and vases – featured Art Nouveau floral and animalistic motifs. Following the First World War, he embraced the geometric vocabulary of Art Deco, produced larger-scale works, and developed denser, more sculptural material quality.

From the mid-1930s onward, Décorchemont concentrated on monumental commissions, creating dalle de verre (thick slab-glass) windows for churches and public buildings. Notable examples include windows for the Church of Sainte-Odile in Paris (1938), Notre-Dame Cathedral in Grenoble, and the Chapel at Saint-Marc-sur-Mer.

His art works are presented in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée d'Orsay (Paris), the Corning Museum of Glass (USA), and other major collections.