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.
