Reflecting the philosophical traditions of the brand’s roots in Asia, the new works are imbued with the essence of the studio from the Ming and Edo periods. Before the noise of modern life, the scholar worked surrounded by treasured objects in wood, stone, bronze, lacquer – each a quiet companion to thought. In the Modern Scholar, these elements return with pieces that echo the natural world, that invite reflection and evolve with touch. Alexander Lamont’s craftsmanship brings surface into dialogue with human contemplation, a meeting place of art, poetry and structure.  

The Modern Scholar collection launching in 2026 is a meditation on the dance between the mind and the space it occupies. The surfaces invite touch, kindling space and room for thought. Parchment lies in smooth, grained planes; lacquer fractures gold and light into fine tessellations. Shagreen offers its aquatic calm. Bark and branch motifs are captured in glimmering straw marquetry and textured cast bronze. Forms are soft and accommodating.

Curves suggest the turning of a page; planes meet with the calm precision of a well-cut seal. Nothing is hurried. Each object is made to accompany a long practice, to evolve through use, to be part of a space shaped with quiet restraint.

Within this collection, the modern scholar finds a place of balance and clarity—a setting crafted for intention, for the slow cadence of making and considering. It invites a return to the essentials: to touch, to material, to the quiet pursuit of understanding.