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EditorialFebruary 12, 2026

A letter from the bench

The fifth-generation master writes on what it means to inherit a workshop.

Written by Élise AurelisHouse master5 min read

On my first day at the bench, my grandfather gave me three things: a graver, a piece of carving wax, and a small magnifier with my own initial scratched into its side.

He said nothing about the maison, or about the legacy. He showed me how to hold the graver, and how to keep my wrist still.

A workshop is not inherited by being given. It is inherited by being shown.
Written by

Élise Aurelis

House master

February 12, 2026