All’Origine, unlimited vintage editions

“Whaaat?!! How on earth have you managed to collect it all?”

Dozens of vintage sculpted glass cake stands line the shelves. Just below, a clutch of brightly hued woven scoubidou bottles appear to have come straight from a 1950s Italian film set. On the table, meanwhile, sit stack upon stack of striped hemp tablecloths, each one strikingly similar to the next. And to top it all off, around one hundred soda syphons, all beautifully unique… Amassing such an amazing hoard would be every collector’s dream. A dream Davide Mariani turned into reality. His collection is so extensive he is able to sell things in vast quantities, dealing solely with industry professionals. Stylists can’t get enough of his pieces. Nor can restaurateurs. Does everything come from old factory clearance sales? “Not at all, we source each item one by one at flea markets…”. Having that level of patience is pretty unique and the hallmark of a true enthusiast.

Davide Mariani initially started out as an antique dealer in Italy, but gradually grew weary of selling a Biedermeier piece or a pair of Thonet chairs once every blue moon. Little by little, his passion for Central European decorative arts drew him towards the everyday pieces that caught his eye in antique markets across Romania, Austria and Bulgaria. Pieces that he claims are universal: “Utensils from southern Ukraine and southern France all share common roots. In my mind, the Europe of objects began to emerge in the XIXth century at the start of the industrial age, long before the arrival of the European Union.”

“The Parisian trade fair is the only place where we find the clientele with the mindset and culture needed to appreciate what we do.”

 

In his warehouse near the Italian town of Imola, he accumulates, sorts and cleans, taking care to not over-restore. Several “themes” sit patiently waiting for similar pieces to join the ranks before eventually going on show. Because when it comes to these “modest” pieces, presence in numbers is what creates the most stunning decorative effect. Deciding which new pieces to start collecting is done in conjunction with his Artistic Director, Corina Jucan. “It can take months, but we always get there in the end” says the dealer with a certain serenity. Painted wooden stools, blown glass fish, pharmaceutical bottles, chopping boards and an astonishing collection of vintage rubber rollers destined for painting friezes all jostle for space in the baskets and on the shelves. The pair pore over old catalogues gleaning inspiration. Davide heads out on the road for two weeks each month. He’s built up a network of eyes and ears in tiny flea markets right across Ukraine and Transylvania, even providing some of them with a mobile phone so they can send him photos of interesting pieces they spot.

And when it came to finding somewhere to sell his fabulous finds, Davide had just one venue in mind: “MAISON&OBJET! Its the only trade fair of its kind in the whole of Europe. And it’s the only place where we find the clientele with the mindset and culture needed to appreciate this kind of thing.” The display packs a truly intriguing punch for anyone meandering down the aisles. Not to mention ticking the ecological box. “When it comes to decor, the least polluting pieces are those that have already been made”, he concludes with an impish smile.

By Caroline Tossan