Louis Boursier

Engraver

©Maison Boursier

Engraving the essential

Louis has been titled Meilleur Ouvrier de France in heraldic engraving since 2011
He specialises in engraving on precious metals
He collaborated with the Musée du Louvre

Louis Boursier discovered engraving at École Estienne, the art and design school located in Paris, where he specialised in graphic, print and book arts. After a few years of practice, having become a teacher himself, Louis met Gérard Desquand, a colleague with whom he trained in heraldic engraving as part of the Maître d’Art programme offered by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2010, he established his own workshop and redefined heraldic engraving with a fresh perspective, a precise technique and the use of traditional tools. As an engraver and draftsman, Louis created stamps for both the French and Monegasque postal services, launching his series Les Grandes Heures de l’Histoire de France. “I combine the rigour of heraldic rules with the finesse of the craft to create works that are both meaningful and beautiful," Louis says.

Interview

©Maison Boursier

©Maison Boursier

What are your specialist skills?: I would first cite my knowledge of heraldic rules, and specifically coats of arms. Other skills include drawing, which is fundamental and very precise in this art, and metalworking, which requires both strength and concentration. I engrave under a binocular microscope, and all my attention is focused on a small square centimetre of gold. I have a strong affinity for the world of jewellery and fashion, as my creations are designed to be worn.
How is your craft linked to France?: The tools I use for engraving are true treasures passed down from generation to generation. They were made in Paris at the time of Napoleon III. I was fortunate to receive them from an old Parisian engraver who had inherited them from his father. To honour this craft, I chose to settle in the Marais, a neighbourhood dedicated to the working of precious metals. Engravers, goldsmiths, jewellers and gilders have been crossing paths here for centuries.
What do you appreciate most about being a craftsman?: My profession involves engraving family histories onto objects, most often signet rings, that are meant to be worn, treasured and ultimately passed down through generations. I take great joy in knowing that each client leaves with a piece of history, bearing the mark of a rare and ancient tool. It is this symbolic dimension that gives true purpose and depth to my work.
Can you share a special moment of your craft career?: I took part in the creation of a gallery at the Musée du Louvre. It is a space where I share my engravings on wood and metal, as well as a display of the engraving tools with which I have carved dozens of stamps for the French Post Office. However, if you were to ask my children, they would most likely mention the engraving of the Ballon d’Or trophy and the Roland Garros cups.

Louis Boursier is a master artisan: he began his career in 1997 and he started teaching in 2001