Atelier Thiery Embellishes Rémy Martin’s XO Decanter With a Flash of Gold Leaf

Delicate, rare, and notoriously temperamental to work with, gold leaf reflects light and sparks fascination like no other surface decoration. It’s an ancient craft that dates back thousands of years, but all too often the results look like they belong back then. Then Atelier Thiery came along and gave a new infusion of life to the traditional art of gilding.

Founded in 1971 by master gilder Patrick Thiery, who passed his knowledge on to his children, Céline, Clément, and Sébastien, the Paris-based workshop is regularly enlisted to restore brilliance to important works of classical architecture around the world. But it’s the studio’s contemporary applications of gilding that have made its name.

In addition to several high-profile, modern interior design projects in Paris—where smooth expanses of whisper-thin gilt cover entire walls and ceilings—Thiery has partnered with many brands to add a touch of gold to everything from surfboards to an Aston Martin DB7. Most recently, the family of artisans joined creative forces with legendary French cognac house Rémy Martin to produce a new, limited edition design for its XO decanter.

Similar to the art of gilding, the process used to distill a complex spirit like cognac requires singular vision and legacy thinking, making the collaboration between the two companies—both of which enjoy France’s prestigious Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) status—a fitting one.

The resulting decanter—which is limited to 30,000 bottles worldwide—features 24-carat gold applied in the traditional square shape of gold leaf, framing the Rémy Martin trademark and highlighting the decanter’s iconic sunburst shape.