Antique Dealer Laurence Vauclair and the Art of Entertaining

How would you describe your gallery? It’s the most beautiful store in the world—because it’s like Alice in Wonderland ! I present it this way because it makes people happy. I never tire of repeating that you don't have to have money to come to my shop; you can just stock up on ideas! There’s a wide price range: €200, €20,000, €200,000! I put all my love into finding beautiful pieces: even small spoons or accessories have to be perfect. Do you still have roots in the 19th century? Yes, we cover the period 1830-1900: a time when I would have loved to have lived! The time of the Universal Exhibitions. We are in a sort of period room—where we perpetuate the art of good manners and know-how—which goes very well with more modern creations. Has this period always been your specialty? When I started doing the Miami fairs (Coconut Grove, Beach Center and so on) in 1995, I always presented ceramics because I specialized in antique porcelain: Meissen , Paris, 18th and 19th-century pieces. My first trip to the US changed everything because the Americans were keen on majolica and the followers of Bernard Palissy. I was the only French dealer for a few years, and I sold everything:…