A curious commission
How our extra-special subscribers’ cover was created for us by luxury wallcovering brand de Gournay
Once the preserve of statesmen, kings and physicians, cabinets of curiosities – often known by their German name wunderkammer – were the height of fashion in 16th-century Europe. A precursor to museums, these items of furniture were used to display eclectic objects from the worlds of geology, natural history and archaeology. The purpose of such cabinets was to reflect the owner’s wealth, intellect and status – you might say an archaic equivalent of an Instagram account. Collections were broad; among shells, specimen jars and precious minerals you might find Ming dynasty china, Roman coins and religious artefacts. Even ‘evidence’ of mythical creatures could be thrown into the mix – the tusk of a narwhal whale was often classified as belonging to a unicorn.
A modern interpretation of this tradition, de Gournay’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ wallcovering features a hand-painted version, much like the ornate examples that belonged to French aristocrat Joseph Bonnier de la Mosson – now housed
WE SENT OFF OUR EDIT OF SPECIALLY SELECTED PIECES TO DE GOURNAY’S LONDONBASED DESIGN TEAM
in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. As with the originals, the brand’s design is tailored to each client, showcasing an individual’s personality with objects of their choosing, either real or imaginary, brought to life by its skilled artists.
It’s with this in mind that we tasked de Gournay with a challenge: to create a modern ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ in the magazine’s aesthetic. ‘We relished the opportunity to compose a scene of such contemporary character: an enviable array of objets far and away from our usual design elements, envisaged by such an authority of current design culture as ELLE Decoration,’ says Hannah Cecil Gurney, de Gournay’s director.
Excited to see the ‘Deco look’ translated in this way, we sent off our edit of specially selected pieces to de Gournay’s London-based design team to be incorporated into a digital drawing. It included design classics, such as one of Oiva Toikka’s ‘Birds’ for Iittala and a George Nelson clock for Vitra, vintage editions of coffee table books on Picasso and David Hicks, and a playful ‘Wooden Monkey’ by Kay Bojesen hanging from the top shelf. The cabinet itself was just as important. Keen to champion British design, we chose Pinch’s ‘Joyce’ cabinet, a beautiful oak piece featuring sleek black-lacquered sliding doors.
All of this was intricately painted by members of the brand’s 170-strong team of artists in China. The successful result, seen on the cover of this issue’s subscribers’ edition, manages to be realistic, while still showing the artistry of the painterly brushstrokes. A truly impressive keepsake – and perhaps inspiration to create your very own ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’. From £1,643 per 915mm wide panel ( for bespoke, price on application), de Gournay (degournay.com)