The History of the Potters of
d'Accolay

En 1944, âgés d'une vingtaine d'années A. BOUTAUD, Louis DANGON, Slavic PALEY et RAUDE pour éviter le STO (Travail obligatoire en Allemagne) se retrouvent en formation au lycée professionnel de CLUNY (71). Ils ont Alexandre KOSTANDA comme enseignant de céramique.

In late 1944, this entire "troupe" has just left the cellars of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the "ZAZOU" scene. Ils se retrouvent chez un ami commun qui habite près d'Accolay, dans l'Yonne en Bourgogne, où ils passent "des nuits à refaire le monde". For their own use they begin, with a first bell kiln, making ceramic buttons, brooches and jewellery.

They hire a worker: Fedor IOTSHINE.

On 26 October 1945 they settle in Accolay, by the canal in a disused factory housing an electrical transformer.

After the war, women long for colour on the dreariness of their wardrobes. Drawing inspiration from the ZAZOU fashion displayed in the streets in 1945, dressmakers want to use the ceramic buttons and jewellery these young people are making. Initially a bicycle wheel was used to stamp out the buttons. To advance production, the team is joined by a genius handyman: Bernard CHEVILLARD a blacksmith by trade. In 1946 some twenty assistants, and very quickly eighty, require several kilns. Finishing work was overseen by DANGON, the oldest and most skilled; he soon left for the south of France. The spirit that prevailed at that time combined work and religion.

BOUTAUD was always an anxious worker. He was driven by a primary religious faith. C'était un génie inventif, passionné du jeu d'échec (il sera l'un des fondateurs du club Auxerrois de "la Dame blanche"). Il tenait son équipe, c'était un organisateur envoûtant. He knew how to harness skills while committing himself fully. He saw the Accolay Potters as a religious community. The whole team worked for nothing in 1946–47 (the little money earned was reinvested). By 1947 the fashion phenomenon of ceramic buttons begins to fade. The Accolay potters must reinvent themselves with utilitarian ceramics.

In late 1947 comes the arrival of the first professional thrower BARACHANT, he worked with clays from Provins (77). Then in 1948 comes the purchase of the first large kiln, 1.80 × 0.80 m. Daniel AUGER (born 1929) arrives as an apprentice and continues as a thrower until his departure for Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye. Très vite BOUTAUD a non seulement l'idée en substitution de la silice de récupérer et broyer du verre blanc.... mais également de mettre comme fuit dans les argiles de Provins du verre médical (Verrerie de Pont/Yonne) car il a une très forte teneur en plomb, ce dernier a la propriété de permettre d'abaisser..

This is perhaps the hallmark of the Accolay potters. An external lead addition made into the clay composition. It had to be ground very finely to avoid injuring the thrower or altering the clay's properties. The bisque did not leak. Surprising glazes were also obtained by incorporating this same lead-saturated glass. The bases, however, had to be glazed to prevent porosity.

Very quickly, ochre slip became widespread. The white Provins clay takes on the warm tones of stoneware! The use of leaded glass would lower energy consumption and thus the production cost.

Production costs are low thanks to mass production, yet the pieces are always thrown and signed. The first sale takes place at a stall in Auxerre at the Saint-Martin fair of 1948. Everything sells! They are compelled to continue! Très vite s'ouvre un magasin au "four à chaux" et une station d'essence sur le bord de la N6.

Fin 1948 BARACHANT part dans le Midi de la France. AUGER, GUY et IODTSCHINE continuent sous la direction de A. BOUTAUD. In 1949 the idea of a community fades and small monochrome series begin. By the end of that year, bicolour pieces appear, though still without figurative motifs.

We must wait until 1952 and the arrival of GIARRUSSO a Canadian painter (École des Beaux-Arts, Montréal). frames, pots and within six months very beautiful pieces begin to appear.

Playfulness reigns. Ceramics become a kind of journal — or at least a political, cultural or sociological event — a subject for collecting. The Russian collection, when De Gaulle meets Khrushchev. Maya, for the exhibitions at the Grand Palais by Jacques Soustelle. But also the Shadocks pottery series…

Then comes the era of export Oscars. Des "Pétroliers" sont mis en compétition pour leurs stations d'essence. They finance the installation of gigantic display parks for the "Potters" along the RN7 and RN6… (Fixin, Arcy, Vermenton, Accolay, Appoigny, Paris, Pouilly-sur-Loire). de poteries" qui restent 365 jours par an marquées à la peinture jaune dehors sans s'abîmer ! Accolay pottery was waterproof! The large advertising vases… cement (in the style of the Vix crater); the Stakhanovism of the Portuguese throwers who would approach 300 pieces per person per day. Up to three kilns were fired per day! That is slightly less than six usable cubic metres. When the kiln was at the end of its run, the potters even attempted reduction firing in the electric kiln! Always an experimental spirit. They never abandoned the electric kiln for gas or wood. They preferred instead to try new glaze compositions or firing types. In the end they were building their own kilns and producing ever more.

First crisis: they are not on the motorway! Commercial traffic shifts axis; the national road is far less frequented. Ensuite Mai 68 avec son retour au grès traditionnel, à la "pauv'pièce unique.....". Accolay, like Vallauris, does not survive the revolution in taste. For the new generation…

The oil crisis undermines the profitability of large petrol stations 200 km from major cities. Petrol consumption falls; stops become less frequent. Colour and a touch of humour disappear. La résine CEPAMINE et le métal dans l'esprit du GEMMAIL/vitrail remplacent de plus en plus la terre dans la production des "potiers". They become decorators! BOUTAUD dies in the 1980s. His succession within the company is difficult.

Production ceases in 1989. The adventure of the ACCOLAY POTTERS can be summed up as the utopia of a ZAZOU community that evolves into a quasi-religious order, culminating in immense popular success. They now deserve intellectual and media recognition for their place in the history of the Trente Glorieuses (1945–1975).