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Luneville Faience is one of the most famous French pottery manufacturers. It has been located in Lunéville, Lorraine, France since 1730.
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History
Jacques Chambrette Senior initially started the first fine pottery works in Lorraine in 1711. His son began in 1722 by trading faience in Lunéville. He built his own factory there in 1730, just before he obtained the royal permission.
He formulated a new type of earthenware called "terre de Lorraine" in 1748 based on the study of English potteries. As soon as 1749, he was granted the label of official Royal manufactory by Stanislaus I, former king of Poland.
At the time, Lorraine being indeed an independent state, France levied heavy taxes on goods imported from there, reason why Jacques Chambrette established as early as 1758 an additional factory in Saint-Clément, Meurthe-et-Moselle, only seven miles away, but located on French territory to escape those duties.
However, at the death of the founder, the two factories were split between the family and Richard Mique bought in 1763 the Saint-Clément part.
In 1900, there were around 1,100 employees. The factory's products had a worldwide reputation and participated successfully in various fields of art and industrial exhibitions.
Developments since 1968
The former pottery factory in Lunéville is now a company store, production continuing in Saint Clément.