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What if love could be sculpted?
What if a simple gesture — holding hands — became the tangible witness of a deep, invisible, and yet eternal bond?
A gift for an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary, or to honour a lifelong love… There are gestures that words alone cannot carry.
With L'Etreinte, Maison Forest Audiard offers a poetic and timeless response to the pursuit of pure emotion: a sculpture born from a simple gesture — the act of giving one’s hand. More precisely, from that delicate hollow created when we take the hand of the one we love. A fragment of love captured in bronze. A living memory. An eternal symbol.
Holding Hands. And Holding Time Still.
“Love may be spoken in a thousand tongues, yet it lives in a single gesture: reaching for the hand of the one you love. A contact so banal we forget it instantly — and yet, it says everything.”
— Michel Audiard
That fragile space between two joined palms. That unnamed place, full of promise. It is this space we have chosen to sculpt — not the hands themselves, but what binds them.
“L'Etreinte is born of two hands intertwined. A gesture of love, frozen in time. An invisible shape, and yet, so powerful.”
— Sébastien Forest
L’Étreinte is the embodiment of a silent vow. It holds what is felt more than what is said. This artwork is shaped from the real imprint of two hands joined — a fragment of connection sculpted for eternity.
“It is the promise of being present. The tenderness of a suspended moment. We wished to capture this fragile space so it may become a landmark, a witness, a timeless symbol of love.”
— Sébastien Forest
A rare gift to honour love :
Wedding, anniversary, engagement… Life’s great milestones deserve a gesture that rises to meet them. L’Étreinte is not worn. It stands. It lives in a space. It tells a story — yours.
“Marriage is choosing to walk hand in hand — literally and symbolically — to weave a bond that resists time. L’Étreinte is that bond, immortalised in matter, preserved forever.”
— Sébastien Forest
L’Étreinte is the artistic expression of an invisible yet powerful bond — a symbolic gift idea for weddings or anniversaries. The blog Madame C beautifully captured this poetic approach in an article exploring the meaning behind our sculpted works.
“Bronze is the memory of sculpture. It is the metal of civilizations, of works meant to endure through the centuries.”
— Michel Audiard
Each Étreinte is born in our artistic foundry in the hear of Loire Valley, in France. The piece is cast at over 1,100°C using the ancient lost-wax method, then meticulously chiselled, polished, and hand-finished over 10 to 12 weeks.
“Choosing L’Étreinte means more than acquiring a work of art — it is entering a rare, intimate experience. Each piece is unique, shaped from the couple’s real handprint.”
— Sébastien Forest
The imprint is taken in our foundry or at a place of your choosing. It becomes a ritual — a moment to share. At every stage, we guide you, right up to the final handover — personalised and deeply moving.
“L'Etreinte is not just an object. It is a work one lives, one awaits, and one passes on.”
— Sébastien Forest
Michel Audiard advice :
“Forget what shines. Seek what resonates. L'Etreinte is not merely a sculpture. It is an imprint of love, etched in matter. If you seek a gift that is lived rather than shown… then you have just found it.”
The best gifts are those that carry meaning — not just beauty.
L’Étreinte is one of them. Sculpted from the real imprint of two joined hands, it captures the very essence of a shared journey: the bond, the time, the emotion. Rather than offering an object to possess, it offers a memory to preserve.
It is not worn, it is not stored — it inhabits a space, like a silent witness of love that has endured, and that will continue to grow.
No, it is not a requirement.
We would be delighted to welcome you to our art foundry in the heart of Loire Valley, in France, but we can also travel anywhere in France to take the imprint — whether at your home or in a place that holds special meaning for you.
(We also offer solutions if you are based abroad.) This moment, too, becomes a memory in its own right. Each Ouvre-Vin is sculpted from the actual imprint of its owner’s hand. It is then cast in bronze in our Touraine foundry, before being hand-chiseled and polished with care.
It is a sculpture to be lived with, crafted to endure. Each unique piece requires 10 to 12 weeks of work, carried out by women and men with exceptional savoir-faire.
L’Étreinte is not tied to a date — it is tied to meaning. It can be offered for a wedding, an engagement, a birth, a vow renewal, or even as a gesture of remembrance.
Each time, it becomes a symbol of connection. A way to honour what binds two people — whether in joy, in promise, or in memory. It is the ideal gift when words fall short, and when the intention deserves to be eternal.
Discretion is a value dear to our Maison, yet some friends have graciously agreed to appear publicly alongside us — in a spirit of shared recognition. We have created a page, Friends of Forest Audiard, where you’ll find portraits of collectors, families, devoted enthusiasts, and personalities who embody the French art de vivre at its highest level.
Among them: great chefs who illuminate French gastronomy — Guy Savoy, long celebrated for his restaurant voted Best in the World; Pierre Gagnaire, a three-Michelin-star icon; Guillaume Gomez, former Chef of the Élysée Palace and Culinary Ambassador of the French Republic; and the late Michel Guérard, pioneer of cuisine santé. By their side, the charismatic Simone Zanoni, who enchants the Italian table of the George V.
In the world of wine, passionate allies such as Fabrice Sommier (President of the UDSF), Gabriele Del Carlo (Head Sommelier of the Royal Monceau), and Gwilherm de Cerval (inspired wine writer) share the same spirit. Beyond these circles, well-known figures such as Nikos Aliagas have also chosen to link their imprint with ours.
These names are not listed to flatter fame, but to express something simple: Forest Audiard moves those who love to celebrate, to transmit, and to honour life. Whether famous or anonymous, all are friends of the Maison.
Yes. Because life sometimes catches us by surprise, we have imagined elegant Intention Boxes and fine correspondence cards that announce the creation to come. You thus offer your gift in two chapters: the immediate grace of a refined present (box, personalised message, visuals of the future work), followed a few days later by the joy of the imprint appointment.
This wait is no longer a delay — it is a promise unfolding. We can personalise the message, include a handwritten note, or schedule a priority imprint session according to your context. Offering Forest Audiard at the last minute transforms urgency into a double emotion.
