Creativity

Crazy patterns

Breton crafts and decorative arts are often colourful, from the potteries of Quimper to the embroideries on men’s formal waistcoats. Show was important; just look at the array of coiffes the region produced. Furnishings might be more sober and heavy, but geometric patterns added life. Today, two Breton brothers, the Bourollecs, are wowing the design world with their bold inventions.

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Bold furniture 

Breton furniture was bulky in the past, but decorated with bold designs, the wood often carved into distinctive circles and lozenges. The most loved piece of Breton furniture was the lit-clos, the traditional country bed cosily hidden within a tight but pretty wooden frame. Many local museums preserve good examples of Breton furniture – Finistère’s Château de Kerjean contains one of the finest collections.

Fashion reaching for the sky 

Brittany is renowned for the variety of its coiffes, women’s lace bonnets, which became increasingly elaborate as neighbouring communities competed in show. Breton men’s fashions were flamboyant too; traditional brimmed hats carried racy bows at the back and smart waistcoats were embroidered with vivid patterns of circles and rams’ horns. At Pont-l’Abbé, you can still see the odd embroiderer at work. Visit Quimper’s Musée Départemental to marvel not just at historic displays of Breton fashion, but also at the avant-garde.

Potteries and crafts 

Quimper, a major craft centre, has a long tradition in pottery-making. Its peasant couple in traditional Breton gear are iconic, but it produces a wider range of motifs. More commonly in Brittany, you’ll find good earthenware pottery. A number of towns and villages have an interesting craft scene. Morbihan has a clutch of specialised villages at Pont-Scorff, Rochefort-en-Terre and La Gacilly – the latter even had a handy armour-maker until recently !

Did you know ?

Perhaps the most widespread manifestation of Breton fashion is the stripy sailor’s jumper, trendy across the world, and sometimes still made in Brittany.