Limoges porcelain

History

Limoges had strong antecedents in the production of decorative objects. The city was the most famous European centre of vitreous enamel production in the 12th century, and Limoges enamel was known as Opus de Limogia or Labor Limogiae.

Limoges had also been the site of a minor industry producing plain faience earthenware since the 1730s.

The manufacturing of hard-paste porcelain at Limoges was established by Turgot in 1771 following the discovery of local supplies of kaolin and a material similar to petuntse in the economically distressed area at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, near Limoges. The materials, which were quarried beginning in 1768, were used to produce hard-paste porcelain similar to Chinese porcelain.

A manufactory at Limoges was placed under the patronage of the comte d'Artois, brother of Louis XVI, and was later purchased by the King in 1784, apparently with the idea of producing hard-paste bodies for decoration at Sèvres, although this never happened.

After the French Revolution a number of private factories were established at Limoges, including Bernardaud and Haviland & Co.

Present day

Limoges maintains the position it established in the 19th century as the premier manufacturing city of porcelain in France.

Unscrupulous imitations

Consumers are being targeted by operations of varying names, alleging that they are selling Limoges porcelain at extremely low prices. Consumers who have been targeted by this scheme have found it the set they received isn't fair in quality wise as advertised. Even though certain products available are usable and reliable some of them fail drastically quality wise. When these pieces are evaluated by auction experts they conclude these imitations aren't worth even for the normal engraving price and when consumers approached vendors to have their money returned found it hard and unapproachable.