The inlaid chest of drawers in the Salon de Compagnie is a fine example of the stylistic transition, which began in the middle of the 18th century, between the supple lines and scrolls of rocaille furniture and the more rigid forms, inspired by Antiquity, which took hold in the last quarter of the century. The cabinetmaker Oeben himself had proposed the principles of this type of furniture for a chest of drawers that he called "à la grecque". A flap used as a secretary, hidden behind the false drawer at the side, makes our chest of drawers exceptional. In addition, its flat surfaces were suitable for a rich marquetry decoration...

At the end of the Second World War, in the context of reconstruction, the industry developed in order to equip French homes. Bakelite, the material used to make this yogurt maker's casing, was widely used. Considered one of the first artificial plastics in modern chemistry, bakelite is a thermosetting phenolic resin that is synthetic, hygienic, insulating and easily machined. Inexpensive, it replaced wood, porcelain or metal in the manufacture of many everyday products, thus renewing the method of production of domestic objects...

It looks as if it has always been there: and yet!

The panelling comes from another private mansion: the Hôtel de Gascq, rue du Serpolet, built in 1735, and was not reassembled until 1924 on the first floor of the Hôtel de Lalande. Far from being a simple backdrop for the museum's collections, this woodwork bears witness to the evolution of decor in Bordeaux. They bear witness to the bright times when a President of Parliament indulged in the luxury of a rich and fashionable décor, and to the darker times when these panelling panels were massively displaced...

This gilt bronze table clock, from the mid-18th century, has a mechanism by Le Moyne, a clockmaker in Paris. Thanks to the Friends of the Museum, it has just been restored, which has enabled us to discover another signature, that of the author of the dial, the enameller Elie Barbezat. If its gilded bronze case is in the neo-classical taste that heralds the reign of Louis XVI, its mechanism is indeed that of a watchmaker trained in the early 18th century...

The Hôtel de Lalande, which today houses the Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design, was a private aristocratic residence for over a century. In 1924, a museum of ancient art was installed on the first floor of the main building, while the ground floor became the private flat of the Bordeaux collector Daniel Astruc (1863-1950). The object of the month of May, a painting by Félix Carme (1863-1938) entitled "Coin de salon" depicts the interior of this enigmatic character who, for nearly twenty-five years, lived in the remarkable woodwork of the Hôtel de Lalande...

These two porcelain statuettes from the Meissen factory in Germany (Saxony) are part of a series of twenty-one musical monkeys called the "Orchestra of Monkeys in Court Dress".

This satirical ensemble, created by Johann-Joachim Kaendler (1706-1775), is said to be a caricature of the court of Augustus III of Saxony, who ruled from 1733 to 1763. Two of these pieces are presented here: a viola player and a drummer. They stand on rocaille-style pedestals and are decorated in polychrome with gold highlights...

In the early 1990s, Ricard wanted to change the world of its aperitif brand. To attract a new, more urban, more feminine clientele, the company approached the design consultancy Kreo, which suggested that it call on the designers Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti. At the time, the two designers were creating pieces that were far removed from industrial design. But they took up the challenge and came up with an object that is inseparable from anisette, a new carafe. The Premium decanter is still the most popular object of these designers. The sun moulded in relief on both sides has become the new emblem of the brand...

This writing case is a utilitarian object of great refinement. Covered in red morocco decorated with rocaille motifs, it is trimmed with silver accessories dating from 1782 and bears in gold letters the name of Le Berthon, first president of the Bordeaux Parliament. This inscription - at first sight eloquent - may refer to two members of the same family who succeeded each other in this office in the middle of the 18th century. Testifying to the taste of the great Bordeaux parliamentary dynasties, the object has not yet revealed all its secrets...

This decanter, a formal evocation of the famous Russian satellite that marked the beginning of the conquest of space, is a glass prototype blown in the old glassworks of Bègles. Its shape is characterized by a curved body which allows both to contain the wine in the lower part and to aerate it in the upper chamber...