Limoges Boxes History

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The Cottage Shop.com®

 

 

                

                                                    

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limoges desk with book and quill feather  box
Limoges desk secretaire with book and feather quill pen box
Limoges Capodimonte shell box
Limoges Capodimonte shell box
Limoges Chamart vanity bruch and comb set  box
Limoges Chamart vanity brush and comb set box
Limoges big pig box
Limoges big pig box
Limoges birds perfume bottle with bottle box
Limoges birds perfume bottle box with bottle
Limoges big swan box
Limoges big swan box
Limoges Artoria  armadillo with cactus box
Limoges Artoria armadillo with cactus box
Limoges red roses box
Limoges black magic red roses box
Limoges cherubs umbrella box
Limoges cherubs umbrella box
Limoges fleur de lis box
Limoges fleur de lis box

 

Limoges French porcelain  boxes have always had a sense of gift giving for a special occasion.

 

 

 

According to the occasion, each  Limoges box has been the special gift for a friend or romance.

 

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Limoges boxes history welcomes you !  We  would like to take you to a historical tour of the Limoges boxes. Limoges  is a  city in the Limousin region of France. It became famous in the 18th Century due to the kaolin found in its rich soil, able to produce the perfect mix of elements to create marvelous porcelain dishes, plates, center pieces, dinnerware and the French Limoges porcelain boxes that would make this city famous all over the world. 

Going back in history, we find the first porcelain pieces coming from China. In France,  a soft paste porcelain production was started in 1600s trying to find a similar item as the porcelain  that had arrived to the old continent from Asia. The French realized that the paste had to be fired at very high temperatures and found the earth surrounding the city of Limoges had the same minerals found at the mount Kao-Ling in China.  It was in the early 1700s that A German alchemist discovered the perfect mix  to produce the base for the white mold of the Limoges porcelain box as we know it today.

Limoges antique roses and gold treasure chest box
Limoges antique roses and gold leaf treasure chest box
The city of  Limoges was already the home of very artistic pottery making  and by the late 1700s  Mr Turgot who was King Louis XVI's  businessman realized its importance for the economic development of the country.
 The first Limoges porcelain plates and dinnerware were made under commission of the Royal Court of France. The first Limoges porcelain plates had to be marked with royal crests or initials. These Limoges porcelain marks are the origin of the Limoges marks that will become an essential  way of appraisal for any piece of Limoges porcelain object or Limoges porcelain box. The evolution of the Limoges marks is part of the Limoges porcelain history.

Sevres was the Royal limoges porcelain factory. Limoges porcelain became the Limoges Royale porcelain factory as it was basically commisioned by the court. The
French Fleur de Lys was the symbol used to stamp the Limoges porcelain items in those days.

The French Revolution was the end of this exclusive royal commission type of industry. By the end of the 18th Century, the Limoges industry started making progress with a commercial independent business sense. The city of  Limoges saw the establishment of many Limoges porcelain  factories and creative designs would be allowed from that day on. The later part of the 19th Century can be considered the booming time for Limoges porcelain as international interest increased and production of Limoges dinnerware and Limoges porcelain tabatieres improved with better techniques.

Among the very well known Limoges companies was  Limoges Haviland who supplied lots of dinnerware sets all over the world including the USA by the late 1800s. It was such a privilege that it soon became fashionable among the high society mansions and estates to have a collection of Limoges porcelain plates and centerpieces.
After the great depression in the USA the Limoges porcelain plates and decorative accessories were not so affordable anymore and  these heirlooms  increased their value.

 

Having gone through the Royal era and being part of the carnet de ball of French and European aristocracy ladies, the Limoges box as we know it today had its origin in the late 1960s when a renaissance of the big tabatieres or French Limoges porcelain snuff boxes used to store tobacco were brought back to life. We can say that David Haviland gave the first breath of international glamour to the Limoges porcelain dinnerware and tabletop items adapting decors suitable to the USA market. It is to Charles Martine,  the founder of Chamart Exclusives,  we owe the pioneer work to have brought and introduced the French handpainted Limoges porcelain box into the USA market. Following his footsteps, other French manufacturers of Limoges porcelain boxes as Artoria created Limoges porcelain boxes for the USA market. Other well known brand names are  Limoges Marquise de Pompadour, Limoges Rochard and  Limoges Dubarry. At The Cottage Shop, we did follow the evolution of the Limoges box from its origin to the present. 


 For the last 28 years, we have had the pleasure to bring  to our customers the most exquisite assortment and high quality authentic French Limoges porcelain boxes featured in our  catalogues we have distributed through the years. We go back to the days of the first introductions into the USA market: the Limoges  big snuff boxes  adapted into a tabletop Limoges box which had no use or apparent meaning at the time for the USA customers.

 

A Limoges piece can be valued by its decoration and its source. In terms of the French Limoges boxes, it is very important for each Limoges box to have the inscription "Peint Main" which means handpainted in French and Limoges, France- next to it-. According to its origin, it will also have the stamp and/or signature - initials- of the artist who painted the box or the brand name of the collection : Limoges PV, Limoges Chamart, Limoges Marquise de Pompadour, Limoges Artoria or Limoges Rochard as an example of Limoges marks or brand names. 

 

If you collect Limoges porcelain boxes or are interested in purchasing any of these French Limoges boxes or to see one of the biggest and high quality  selection of Limoges boxes at great savings, please click on any Limoges box picture and you will be redirected to our safe secure site: TheCottageShop.com    You will be able to see a great selection of authentic  Limoges porcelain boxes, imported directly from the best Limoges ateliers where our Limoges museum artists paint only the best Limoges boxes we are pleased to offer you. 

 

Thank you for visiting our Web site. The Cottage Shop©  has been providing quality service through the distribution of  specialty  upscale catalogues all over the USA and abroad for over 28 years. We specialize in authentic handpainted French Limoges porcelain boxes. You can count on the specialized experience and taste combined with good sevice at The Cottage Shop© for your Limoges gifts and collectors choices. Please call us at 1-800-965-7467 with any comments or questions you may have.
Please visit our website to see a large variety of handpainted French Limoges porcelain  boxes, our Limoges exclusive boxes and our Limoges exclusive Limited editions collectors' boxes  directly from the Limoges  factories  at great prices. We offer free personalisation when the occasion calls for it. We thank you in advance and look forward to your visit at: TheCottageShop.



 

Limoges porcelain boxes

Limoges rabbit box with dog
Limoges rabbit with dog box
Limoges cat with butterfly on leaf box
Limoges cat with butterfly on leaf box
Limoges pink roses tea set
Limoges pink tea set with roses
Limoges lobster fish seafood basket box with shells
Limoges lobster fish basket box with shells
Limoges perfume bottles vitrine box
Limoges perfume bottles vitrine box
Limoges basket with roses box
Limoges basket with roses box
limoges herat ribbons and pink roses box
Limoges heart ribbons and pink roses box
Limoges summer birdhouse box with two birds
Limoges summer birdhouse box with two birds
limoges gold heart with white flower box
Limoges gold heart with white flower box
Limoges butterfly on flowers box
Limoges butterfly on flowers box
Limoges snowmen family box
Limoges snowmen family box
Limoges sevres heart box
Limoges Sevres heart box
Limoges Chamart egg with tree and dove box
Limoges Chamart egg with tree box