Trio Of Moncorgé Wood Bowls | Mof 1972

Trio Of Moncorgé Wood Bowls | Mof 1972

• Vintage
• Found in a flea market in Lyon
• Made by Atelier Moncorgé.
• Hand turned.
• Stamped with maker’s mark.
• Oiled finish.
• Hand applied wood patches. 
• small: 8.5″ in diameter
• large: 14.5-15″ in diameter

Editor’s Notes

M.O.F. stands for Meilleur Ouvrier de France, meaning “Best Craftsperson of France.” It’s one of France’s most prestigious honors for manual and technical trades, earned through a highly selective national competition. The award was created in 1924 to recognize exceptional “savoir-faire” and to preserve the country’s craft traditions as industry modernized. The competition is typically held every three to four years and covers a huge range of fields—today around a couple hundred specialties, from woodworking, metalwork, textiles, and design to hospitality and the culinary arts. Winners receive a medal and an official diploma at a ceremony in Paris, and they keep the title for life, always linked to their exact trade and the year they won (for example, “MOF 1972”).
What makes the MOF title special is how it’s earned. Candidates are given a demanding brief—often to execute a “chef-d’oeuvre” (masterpiece) under strict rules, with limited time and specified materials. Judging isn’t only about the finished object; juries also evaluate method, precision, organization, respect for tradition, and the ability to solve problems cleanly. The standards are deliberately close to “approaching perfection,” and many years don’t produce winners in certain categories because nobody meets the bar.

In France, being an MOF functions like a lifelong seal of mastery. It’s why MOF holders are often teachers, workshop heads, or reference figures in their field, and why their work is collected: the stamp signals elite technique, disciplined craftsmanship, and deep material knowledge. In some trades, MOF winners wear the famous tricolor collar at public events—a symbol so culturally protected that wearing it fraudulently is treated seriously under French law. 

So when you see “MOF + year” on an object—especially something hand-made like wood turning, silver, or ceramics—it’s not just a date. It’s a credential saying the maker reached the highest national level in that craft, and they were officially judged among the best in France for their generation. 

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