Christofle in 7 Moments

The storied history of the Parisian silversmith and tableware house, at a glance

1830: A grand start

Picture Paris in the first half of the 19th century. The boulevards aren’t yet built, nor is the Eiffel Tower, but this is recognisably the capital of the fashionable world, a nation torn between an appreciation of the finer things in life and revolutionary zeal. In the very year that another French king is toppled, young Charles Christofle – who is very much on the side of glamour – takes over the family jewellery business in the Marais.

1842: All that glitters

Charles Christofle patents bold new methods to gild and silver-plate metal using electrolysis. As this can be applied not just to jewellery, but to tableware, cutlery and accessories, Charles’s business expands rapidly. Everyone who can afford it wants a little bit of Christofle glitter in their life.

1846: Royal progress

In 1846, the reigning king – Louis Philippe (aka ‘the Bourgeois Monarch’) – orders a large dinner service for use at his country chateau. Needless to say, this royal seal of approval is great for business.

1871: A treasure from the ruins

Christofle’s fortunes flourished in France’s Second Empire, alongside other great luxury brands… think couture by Worth, carriage bridles by Hermès and tableware by Christofle. Napoleon III ordered a 4,000-piece service, but this was lost when the Tuileries Palace was burnt to smouldering ruins in yet another revolution. One piece was rescued, blackened and battered, and is today one of the star exhibits at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

In the 1900s, Christofle embraced the twirls and curls of Art
Nouveau

1925: The modern age

In the 1900s, Christofle embraced the twirls and curls of Art Nouveau, but it was Art Deco which saw a real highpoint for the maison – with design director Luc Lanel designing iconic cutlery for ocean-going liners showcasing the French decorative arts such as the Atlantique (1925) and the Normandie (1937), which remains highly collectible today.

1955: Mid-century cool

Openness to new ideas is surely in Christofle’s DNA – along with a warm embrace of new design and collaborators, from Mucha to Man Ray or Jean Cocteau. The 1950s saw Raymond Loewy’s iconic pieces for Air France, Leo Sabbatini’s Nice bowl of 1955 and an ongoing, highly productive relationship with Gio Ponti, that star of Italian modernism, who just happened to love his Christofle.

2026: Raffles x Christofle

The latest distinctive collaboration, in a long line of many, is Christofle’s travel coffee cup for Raffles’ The Butler Did It collection – not exactly revolutionary, perhaps, but an elegant solution for urbanites wanting their latte on-the-go – with a future-facing eye on sustainability, as well as style. Charles would have been pleased.

Picture Paris in the first half of the 19th century. The boulevards aren’t yet built, nor is the Eiffel Tower, but this is recognisably the capital of the fashionable world, a nation torn between an appreciation of the finer things in life and revolutionary zeal.

Discover Raffles x Christofle travel coffee cup

Picture Paris in the first half of the 19th century. The boulevards aren’t yet built, nor is the Eiffel Tower, but this is recognisably the capital of the fashionable world, a nation torn between an appreciation of the finer things in life and revolutionary zeal.