"Wedding Ring" Coffee Pot Charles Field Haviland Limoge ca. 1868-1881 Mark1&2

$275.00

The Limoges porcelain sought by antiques collectors today was actually produced by a number of factories in Limoges, France from the late 1700's until around 1930. Production did not cease in 1930, however.

This arbitrary cutoff date simply denotes a change in the global economy when the styles of Limoges notably changed from elaborate to more basic. Even now, quality porcelain marked Limoges, France can be found in the retail market.

The factories primarily produced elaborately molded white wares. These undecorated pieces, or "blanks," were taken to decorating studios away from the factory or exported without decoration. The blanks exported to American soil often ended up in the hands of china painting students with this being a popular hobby during the late 1800s.

Naturally, with some of the Limoges pieces being decorated by amateurs, collectors sometimes notice a variation in the quality of the décor. When valuing Limoges pieces, this should be taken into consideration. High quality hand painting holds more value than the work of an unskilled porcelain painter.

Some pieces of Limoges porcelain were decorated with transfers as well. These transfers were decals of sorts that mimicked hand decorating and were often combined with techniques executed by hand. Even a beautifully transferred piece will hold more value than a hand-decorated item completed poorly.

We hope you enjoy our selection of Limoges China.

Milepost Antiques and Currituck Trading Company 1211 Duck Road, Duck, North Carolina 27949