de Gournay makes its India debut with Thomas Goode in Delhi

de Gournay, known for its hand-painted wallpapers and textiles, has brought its porcelain collection to India for the first time through Thomas Goode at The Oberoi, New Delhi. Alongside dinner services, the collection includes decorative pieces such as vases, figurines and smaller objects for gifting. Clients can also commission pieces to their specifications, choosing colours, shapes, painted motifs and gilded details.The partnership brings together two houses with longstanding associations with the decorative arts. While de Gournay draws on traditional painting techniques to create its porcelain, Thomas Goode, established in London in 1827, is known for its fine tableware and bespoke design service. The collaboration gives Indian collectors access to de Gournay’s porcelain and the opportunity to commission pieces through Thomas Goode.The work of the handThe porcelain is made in Jingdezhen, China, whose history of porcelain production spans more than a thousand years. Each piece passes through several stages, from shaping and glazing to firing, painting and gilding, with specialised craftspeople bringing different skills to the process. The hand-painted decoration gives each piece its own character, with slight variations from one object to another.Among the collections on offer is Flora & Fauna, whose birds, butterflies and flowers draw inspiration from the 19th Century ornithological illustrations of John Gould and John James Audubon. The designs differ across the service, so that individual plates feature their own compositions. The porcelain is fine and relatively light, making it practical to use as well as decorative.Clients can further personalise their selections with a family crest or monogram, or by choosing particular colours, motifs and gilding. The process begins with a consultation, followed by drawings and samples. Production takes around three months once the factory approves the design.“Every commission begins with a conversation, and I think that is often the most interesting part of the entire process,” says Dr Reshma Khattar Bhagat, director, Thomas Goode India. “We try to understand the person before we begin discussing patterns or colours.”A service of one’s ownPersonalisation has long been part of Thomas Goode’s practice. In 1848, William James Goode established the company’s first volumes of crest and monogram designs, a tradition that continues through its bespoke service today. The partnership with de Gournay extends this approach to a collection distinguished by its hand-painted decoration.For Indian collectors, Reshma believes, the appeal lies in the opportunity to commission something that reflects their own histories rather than select a service off the shelf. A design might take its cue from a flower in the family garden, a favourite colour or a motif passed down through generations.Reshma has also observed a change in how people use fine tableware. Dinner services once brought out largely for weddings and formal gatherings are increasingly finding their way into everyday settings, mixed with inherited pieces or contemporary designs. Collectors are also showing greater interest in the origins of their purchases and the skills involved in making them.Beyond dinner services, the collection includes decorative porcelain, chinoiserie vases, tea sets and smaller objects such as trinket trays.Beyond the porcelainFor the launch, the Thomas Goode store presented a festive table featuring de Gournay’s Aviary design, hand-painted on a bespoke tablecloth, alongside its Flora & Fauna dinner service. Thomas Goode’s Daisy Line crystal glassware, silverware and limited-edition palm-tree candlesticks finished in 24-carat gold completed the setting.The table brought the porcelain together with textiles, crystal and silverware, showing how the different elements can be combined in a single setting. Yet, as Reshma highlights, the significance of fine tableware often extends beyond its appearance.“A dinner service gathers meaning through the people who sit around it and the memories made over countless meals,” she says. For Reshma, that is what makes a dinner service worth holding on to long after it is first brought home.