Pierre Toulhoat - jewellery designer

An article in an issue of the ARMEN journal, written by Armel Morgant, concluded an article dedicated to "Pierre Toulhoat, the great tradition of folk art" as follows:

"In a little less than half a century, Toulhoat has created a multiform work which is totally exceptional in Breton artistic production, renewing folk art in his own way - that "functional" art, the art which is appreciated in our daily lives, accessible to all. No need to make reference to major concepts, its meaning is immediate. It speaks to the heart because it is somehow deeply grounded in a country, in a culture.

Pierre Toulhoat was born in 1923 in Quimper, a medium-sized town in the south of Brittany, known for its pottery. From a young age, he was already taken by the desire "to live in a beautiful country of old, beautiful buildings of all kinds." Through his family, he entered into contact with traditional Breton life. Very early on, he became interested in everything about his mother country. He learnt the Breton language and left to discover Brittany's countryside.

His main activity for the last forty years has been the production of jewellery. In fact, in 1953, he founded his own workshop, which produces rings, pendants and other ornaments freely inspired by Celtic and Breton motifs. At the same time, he designed bishops' crooks, crosses and other church items, whether it be for Brittany or any other region of Europe. The fact is that the works of Pierre Toulhoat can be admired today from Ouessant Island to Minsk in the Ukraine.

He undertook his secondary school studies at Likès Collège in Quimper, studies which were crowned by a philosophy baccalaureate in 1940.

As a draughtsman at the École des Ponts et Chaussées until August 1944, during the occupation, he participated in the underground struggle at the heart of the French Interior Forces of Finistère.

With his military service complete; he became a journalist for several months. His taste for design, which had never left him since his childhood, led him to the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1947 (majoring in sculpture), he collaborated with the new Keraluc pottery works from its foundation, created jewellery for Kelt, designed scarves, material and banners for Le Minor and created the stained glass windows for the Le Bihan-Saluden workshop. He taught ceramics and modelling at the Quimper Fine Arts School and created the huge mural works at the Keraluc pottery works (bas-reliefs in multi-coloured ceramics), for the IFREMER building, for the chapel of the former maritime hospital in Brest, for Brizeux high school in Quimper, etc. He created medals for the Paris mint, while in his stained glass window workshop, he completed commissioned works from numerous churches in Brittany. He created a jewellery studio to edit his creations and execute pieces of religious goldware.

He was decorated with the Ordre de l'Hermine, for which he designed the medal.

Today all Toulhoat jewellery is still produced individually and artisanally in the family workshop in Quimper and signed by the artist.

Discover the entire collection of Toulhoat jewellery and Toulhoat bronzes quickly.

Rings	Pendants	Celtic Crosses	Religious Crosses
Medallions	Chains	Bracelet	Earrings
Necklaces	Celtic Brooches	Miscellaneous	Bronzes