Her kingdom is an exquisite workshop in Merl, a district of Luxembourg City, and her treasures are made of white gold. Claire Royer is a trained ceramist and her world consists therefore of delicate breakables. This is quite in contrast to her business, which took off quickly after she established it and is now on firm footing. When she moved into her workshop in the Rue de Longwy and opened in September 2019, her shelves were quickly filled and her calendar was rapidly crammed. She mainly sells her creations – from cups, plates, bowls and mugs to ceramic tea and coffee filters and pots as well as homemade scented candles – from her workshop, although she is planning an e-shop during the course of the year and a few collaborations are in the works.

A few years earlier, however, she worked in a com- pletely different area. “My last fulltime employment was in finance. I studied law, among other things, but I’ve only now found fulfilment,” says the native Frenchwoman from Toulouse. “I’m very grateful that Luxembourg gives you the chance to try new things and to find your place.” She has been living in the Grand Duchy for the past 16 years. A mother of two, she enjoys the combination of individual work as a creator and as a teacher of courses. Children can join her courses in groups of ten, for adults it’s five per group. Birthdays and other events can also be organized in her workshop – for small groups, naturally.

“The work is wonderfully diverse: I sculpt with children, with adults I work on the lathe. Many enjoy the escape from their everyday lives, find sculpting re- laxing and go home calm and happy with their home- made object,” Claire Royer says happily. The weekly courses take around 2.5 hours; once a month there are workshops at the weekend.

There is a long tradition of ceramics in Luxembourg, not only noticeable through street names such as “Avenue de le Faïncerie” in Limpertsberg, which point to the heyday of the timeless craft. “I love being able to continue such a great craft with a long history in a contemporary manner. People can rediscover home- made things and they enjoy the individual character of my pieces.”