1 - Icons Tintin: Blue Lotus vase 22cm

Be prepared for a behind the scene view of the collection that will revisit and bring together iconic artefacts from Tintin’s adventures.

Tintin is a comic strip phenomenon that also exists outside of the frame. Our designers bring him to life in 3-D models. Explanation…

Tell us about this new collection of objects. Why did you call it “Icons”?

This new collection aims to offer the public great resin classics of the past. This is not simply a commercial venture; in depth research has been undertaken in the production of these models. Precisely because they are famous classics, we wanted to go beyond what had been achieved in the past. To give the collectors a version more refined than ever before.

The name "icons" was chosen to emphasize the special status acquired by certain images and drawings. Hergé, by his genius and the importance he had in the history of the comic strip, managed to create "archetypes" (and this is not an insult of the captain). Because he was the director of the adventures of Tintin, he was also a formidable director. Thanks to him, Tintin's readers have a fairly precise and definitive idea of ​​what submarine, castle or vase should look like, and if these readers were asked to draw a rocket, there is a strong bet it would have three feet and would be decorated with a red and white checkerboard.

This collection wants to pay tribute to all these images, to all these singular objects in the albums that remain in our memories forever. These "icons" have become cult objects for Tintin's fans.

You propose a new version of Tintin and Snowy hidden in the Chinese vase from the cover of The Blue Lotus. Why did you choose this first subject for the launch of the collection?

The Blue Lotus was a turning point in Hergé's work. It is often said that it is his masterpiece.

We also wanted to give a distinctive look to the collection. Each piece is placed on a base whose colour is that of the background of the reference drawing. This allows us to remember, even in a very summary way, that the subject fits into a particular context and that it cannot be completely detached from the story it comes from.

The name of the collection is engraved on the side of the base, just as a signature.

The chosen typeface is that of the speech bubbles in the album. Its through these bases, the idea was mainly to find a visual coherence, a red thread to harmonize the diverse objects of the collection.

Of course, the collector will always have the choice to expose his statuette with or without its base.

Was there a particular challenge during creation or completion?

The details.

Hergé really started to carefully devise the structure of the story at the time of The Blue Lotus. He used the decor and props to add depth and realism to the story. In fact, the floral motif on the vase and the openwork wood of the base summon up the traditional Chinese art in the cover design.

That's why we wanted to restore these details. It was not easy and several attempts were made to achieve a favourable result in the workshop.

The base of the vase is adorned with an intertwined all round pattern. It was painted in two tones, applying a wash technique. The darker tone has been heavily diluted to settle in the hollows, to accentuate the effect of depth. The floral motif has been reproduced with precision on the surface of the vase. The painting is entirely done by hand. Each piece therefore requires great attention and care in finishing.