World of Revol
250 YEARS OF SHARING
The pride and joy of the Drôme region, Revol Porcelain was born of an indissoluble alliance between the soil of its region and a family of entrepreneurs dating back nine generations.
It’s in the earth of this region, rich in kaolin – the clay that forms the base material for ceramics – that the porcelain factory found its raison d’être in 1768. Meanwhile, its longevity has been assured by the visionary energy of its various directors down those nine generations.
From Pierre Revol who founded the firm to his descendant Oliver Passot, the current director, Revol has combined its unique expertise with an unquenchable thirst for modernity and novelty. Establishing itself over the course of years as the culinary porcelain brand, this small factory slowly became a centre of excellence without ever betraying the values on which it was founded.
Still firmly rooted in the undulating green landscape that proved so auspicious to its success, the factory now prides itself on equipping the most demanding kitchens, whether those of famous chefs or everyday cooks. Today it’s this same desire to bring out unique talents that brings Revol to the loveliest tables, with kitchenware and other cult objects and design pieces that embody art de vivre.
In an era in which the pace of life seems to get faster and faster, Revol swims against the tide with unique products enabling tables that truly stand out from the crowd.
REVOL EXCELLENCE
From the Revolution casserole dish with its coloured lid assuring slow, healthy cooking to the crumpled cup – an iconic design piece in production for more than 15 years – all Revol products testify to the firm’s insistence on creativity as well as high production values.
Whether they’re developed in-house, as is the case with the Arborescence and Belle Cuisine ranges, or are the result of collaborations with designers and publishers, as with the Succession series, Revol products bear witness to continual experimentation in the field of ceramics.
In the quest for innovative solutions for the kitchen and for designs meaningful to contemporary tables, Revol insists on unceasing excellence and creativity in the partners and collaborators with whom it chooses to work.
Inexhaustible in terms of the stories it can tell, porcelain undergoes constant reinvention in the hands of Revol’s expert workforce. Within the modelling workshop, the most sophisticated designs take shape in the form of moulds, as seen with the Arborescence and Succession ranges – both entirely hand-made.
During casting, precision and dexterity are foremost when it comes to working the barbotine – the clay paste used in making decorated pottery – to pour into the moulds. This is the route to the shape that will be reworked manually, before being glazed and then going into the oven. Some pieces, like those of the Color Lab and Solid ranges, require a very specific hand-glazing techique, the secret of which is jealously guarded by the factory workers…
A savvy mix of creativity and technical skill, Revol products are physical embodiments of human wealth – that of a factory that draws its energies from the talents of many individuals.
DESIGN AND INNOVATION
Favoured by well-known firms to produce some of their iconic pieces, including Pernot Ricard’s famous yellow carafe, Revol has always been popular for the way it identifies the technical restraints of ceramics only to move beyond them.
And several decades ago, this firm – as creative as it is knowledgable – spread its wings into the world of design, demonstrating a taste and talent for the cutting edge.
Ideas are at the centre of the creative process at Revol – a firm engaged in a ceaseless quest for inspiration and reinvention in line with the spirit of the times, artistic and architectural trends, and even the cuisine of great chefs who use the firm’s products.
Entering into more and more partnerships with emerging designers or renowned creatives, Revol has opened itself up to all creative fields, especially in the last few years, and has put its industrial expertise to work in collections with a unique identity.
Internally, too, Revol’s teams strive to be ahead of trends in order to offer unique products, including reinterpreting old designs through an unprecedented twist.
FROM A LOVE OF THE SOIL TO MATERIAL EXCELLENCE
Few firms can lay claim to working exclusively with natural primary materials. But such is the case with Revol, who transform – with both panache and passion – meticulously selected kaolin, quartz and feldspar, most of it from France or Europe.
Clay, especially kaolin – so important in the founding of the firm – are chosen for their purity and specific characteristics. Revol experts chose clay with an eye for its colour, which has to be as white as possible. Meanwhile, the quartz is sourced locally, not far from the current Drôme factory.
Revol remains one of the only porcelain factories in France – and indeed in the world as a whole – to produce its own clay pastes. This is mainly of benefit because it allows the firm to adapt materials to its manufacturing processes, which change according to creative demands.
The firm also produces its own glazes from pigments and colour oxides, in doing so offering infinite scope for variety when it comes to finding striking renderings and textures – the USP of Revol porcelain. This mastery of the entire production chain, combined with glazing, soaking and pulverisation techniques, allows Revol to meet the demands of the market with speed and efficiency.
REVOL THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES
Pleated, square, squat or filiform, multicolored or monochrome, sophisticated and rustic ... The shapes are as eclectic as the unique raw material! The generous and delightful palette of Revol creations over time is a wonderful example of the creative, decorative or culinary richness that has contributed to the magic of our tables for generations.