shagreen center piece

A generously scaled, sculptural centerpiece bowl by R & Y Augousti, Paris, entirely veneered in genuine shagreen (stingray skin) in a warm, natural taupe tone. The wide, shallow bowl form sits on a low, unobtrusive circular base, letting the material take full visual command — the shagreen's characteristic fine, pebbled texture and subtle tonal variation catch the light across the bowl's interior and rolled rim, giving the piece a soft, organic luminosity that reads as both sculptural object and functional vessel. The shagreen is applied in neatly bookmatched panels, visible as faint seam lines across the interior, a hallmark of the meticulous, hand-applied craftsmanship for which the house is known.
The underside is signed with the maker's gilt-stamped logo and "R & Y Augousti Paris." Founded in 1989 by husband-and-wife designers Ria and Yiouri Augousti, the Paris house is internationally recognized for having revived shagreen and other exotic-material craftsmanship rooted in the Art Deco tradition, updating it for a contemporary, luxury interiors market. This bowl is a substantial, statement-making example of that signature material language — equally at home as a dining table centerpiece, a console or coffee table object, or a striking catch-all on a large sideboard.

R & Y Augousti was founded in Paris in 1989 by husband-and-wife designers Ria and Yiouri Augousti. Ria, born in Manila and raised in Cebu, moved to New York at fifteen to study art before continuing her training in England and graduating from the London School of Furniture Making; Yiouri, born in Cyprus, studied architecture at London's Architectural Association. The two met while working at the London interior design firm of John Stefanidis, married in 1990, and relaunched their practice permanently in Paris in 1994.
The house built its reputation reviving artisanal techniques from the Art Deco era of the 1930s — above all shagreen, alongside other exotic materials including pen shell, parchment, eel skin, and semi-precious stone — applied to furniture and decorative objects with a distinctly modern, sculptural sensibility. Their debut collection for the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris brought early acclaim, followed by collaborations with Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman and the opening of their flagship boutique on the Rue du Bac in Paris's 7th arrondissement. R & Y Augousti pieces, prized by interior designers, architects, and collectors worldwide for their tactile luxury and meticulous hand-craftsmanship, remain closely associated with the contemporary revival of shagreen as a fine-furniture material. The Augoustis' daughter, Kifu Augousti, has since extended the family's design language into her own eponymous house.