When the curtain raised on a new design fair in Paris earlier this month, it surprised visitors – Parisian and international alike – with its unusual mix of legacy pieces and new releases. Matter and Shape, as this latest salon is called, was clearly not just about the shock of the new. And in an era of constant novelty, that was truly nouveau.

So, on one stand crystal glasses and carafes from early 1900s Vienna were displayed alongside pieces by the same Austrian manufacturer through the 20th century to now. On another, ceramics from venerable Tuscan company Bitossi ran from quirky 1960s figurines to larger contemporary creations such as tables and stools.