Natalia Criado was born and raised in Columbia, before moving to Milan to study industrial design. Upon her return, the artist renewed with the artisanal traditions of her homeland. She then decided to start hand-crafting creations, and opened her own studio in Bogota. From her initial years devoted to jewelry and small accessories, the demanding nature of and passion for the work have never left her. Vases, cutlery, tumblers… Natalia’s creations are always the fruit of a high-jeweler’s hand. In her studio, the artist uses a shaping process of the metals traditionally used in jewel making: lost-wax casting. This consists of producing, layer-by-layer, a clay mold around which is laid a pre-existing wax model. When the clay is fired up, the wax melts and leaves its mark: the mold is thus created and the metal in fusion is ready to take the desired shape. All pieces so created are utterly unique. Today, Natalia Criado employs her savoir-faire on a variety of small objects of the everyday, all original and precious, like these lids for Diptyque candles. La Maison is one of the rare Houses the artist accepts to work with. On these lids in black Bakelite figurines in silver metal, veritable miniature sculptures inspired by Diptyque’s universe, take pride of place.