After winning the Design Parade at Villa Noailles in 2010, François Dumas was awarded a residency at Sèvres – Cité de la Céramique, where he was invited to reinterpret the historic Clermont vase, traditionally given as a presidential gift by the Élysée.
Instead of a single form, a modular system was proposed: a set of mould sections that could be recombined to create a variety of harmonious vases. Using collages and plaster models, a flexible design language was developed, rooted in the logic of ceramic casting.
The resulting Superimposed Vases are crafted in new-paste porcelain, finished in Bleu de Sèvres with gold rims or white biscuit. Now part of the Sèvres collection, they are also used as blank canvases by other invited artists.
