The storied past and present of Limoges porcelain

In 1768, a chemist’s wife in St. Yrieixin, a commune just outside of Limoges in southwest-central France, made a thrilling discovery: A soft white substance in the soil. At first, the story goes, the woman thought the substance could be used to wash and bleach linen, but it turned out she had stumbled upon “white gold.” The substance was kaolin, a rare and precious white clay that is a key ingredient in crafting fine porcelain. That discovery set Limoges on a path towards becoming a center for some of the most beautiful and coveted porcelain in the world.

Today, Limoges is classified as a UNESCO Creative City and the ceramics industry continues to thrive. It’s a region where history and tradition inform modern design. From decorative boxes to exquisite dinnerware to elegant kitchen sinks, Limoges porcelain remains a world-class standard for craftsmanship.

White Gold

The history of porcelain in Europe starts with Marco Polo. In the 14th century, the explorer brought a small jar from China back to Europe with him and Chinese porcelain became a favorite among royalty. During the sixteenth century, the Portuguese and Dutch established commercial trade routes to China and the European market for porcelain grew fast. China kept porcelain’s ingredients and production process a closely guarded secret, inspiring scientists across Europe to experiment with materials and formulas. The first European porcelain factory was established in Saxony in 1710 after kaolin was discovered nearby.

The first porcelain with the Limoges mark was produced in 1771. Limoges had all the essential natural ingredients needed to create world-class porcelain—kaolin, feldspar and quartz—but, just as importantly, the region had a vibrant history of craftsmanship that dated back nearly a millennium. In the 12th century, Limoges was the most famous European center of vitreous enamel production, known as Opus de Limogia or Labor Limogiae. Limoges also produced faience earthenware, or fine in-glazed pottery. The heritage of ceramics and decoration was deeply woven into the fabric of the city.

Making porcelain is a difficult, delicate, and time-intensive process that involves vitrifying the clay multiple times at extremely high temperatures. Limoges porcelain is known for its dazzling white, luminous hue and the intricacy of its hand-painted decorations. At first, its manufacture was placed under the protection of the Comte d’Artois, Louis XVI’s brother, and then purchased by the King himself. It became the Manufacture Royale de Limoges, with the exclusive right to produce Limoges porcelain for the Kingdom of France. In Louis XVI’s time, the manufacture primarily produced trinket boxes of varying shapes and sizes depending on what they were meant to hold, from embroidery scissors to snuff powder to poems. Popular design styles included Rococo-style figures; exotic birds, flowers, and marine subjects on bright color backgrounds; minute patterns embellished in gold; and narrative scenes from classical mythology and pastoral life.

After the French Revolution, the restrictions on porcelain production lifted and the commercial trade flourished. In 1819, the region had four porcelain factories; by 1900, there were 35 factories and 120 kilns employing up to 8,000 workers. Limoges became the undisputed French capital of porcelain production, as well as a major exporter of porcelain to the U.S.

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