Jean-Paul Rossi

Jean-Paul is one of the last masters in the Bauges region dedicated to preserving the ancient craft of making wooden tableware on a pole lathe.

A native of the Bauges, Jean-Paul has an intimate knowledge of his mountain range—its history, traditions, and forests.

For six decades, he has meticulously preserved time-honored techniques to create pieces that reveal the technical skill, finesse, and nobility inherent in his craftsmanship.

Wooden tableware from the Bauges region was granted the title “Argenterie des Bauges” by the Bishop of Geneva in 1645. However, its origins in the region date back to the 14th century. This so-called “poor man’s” tableware was handcrafted in the nearby woods by skilled artisans who shaped a wide variety of objects: bowls, cups, pouches, bolletons, spoons, and more. It was then sold by traveling vendors.

Each piece, unique in shape and purpose, was turned from green wood—a departure from conventional woodturning—ensuring durability over time and resistance to breakage. These timeless objects, at once raw and delicate, hyper-sensitive, tell stories of history, manual labor, and a bygone era, and carry profound meaning.

Following the sale of two of his works at the Piasa Auction House, over a hundred pieces have been brought together in Paris for an exhibition, some of which are more than two decades old.

The team from the " La Maison de Commerce " traveled to Savoie to retrieve them from Jean-Paul Rossi's attic. For him, raising awareness about this tableware is of the utmost importance, to ensure that this ancestral craftsmanship is not lost.