Limoges Porcelain And How To Verify Authenticity
As all antique collectors realize, it's not that easy to discover a worthwhile collectible that is also the real thing, but with some attention it's possible to make some simple checks if we have some guidelines to aid us in identifying Limoges Marks. Authentic porcelain from Limoges was, and still is, manufactured in the region in France around Limoges. If you have found a piece that looks very good, and possibly the real thing, you can check if it is what you think it is by verifying where it was made and approximately when it was made. These two pieces of information are generally marked or stamped on the underneath of items and utensils manufactured in porcelain.
On the bottom of your 'Limoges' item, you may see an impression, or mark AE, which means that the piece was produced between 1797 and 1868 in the Allund production facility at Limoges. The plant changed hands between 1868 and 1898, and various marks were stamped on the pottery bases - CH Field Haviland, Limoges - CHF/GDM and CHF.
Authentic Limoges boxes are very collectible pieces of decorated pottery produced in the Limoges region of central France. Limoges boxes were ordinarily illustrated by artists and baked in a kiln before applying the next layer of paint. The expensive top-end items can be adorned with twenty two-karat gold , diamonds or rubies. They have metal hinges for the lids which are fitted towards the end of he fabrication process, making every box unique.
Kaolin, or hard-paste clay, was found in the mountains of the Limoges region in the first part nineteenth century, which meant that craftsmen in France could make porcelain which was as tough as the Chinese variety, and also with a pleasing color. For this reason, Limoges became a center of fine pottery products in France, additionally drawing business men from foreign countries, which included America.
Limoges plates were in reality fabricated in more than one factory and illustrated by many painters. Blank porcelain plates were manufactured, and then shipped to other places for numerous artists to decorate. It is this variance in the decoration and painting styles that causes the differences in value of these boxes, as the standard of the illustrations fluctuates to some degree.
The highest value plates are ones that are painted completely by hand, and and also has the signature of the artist, specially if the artist was known and became famous. Plates with intricate details and embellished style are sought after and usually command a high price. A later process concerned the use of transfers to illustrate Limoges plates, and these pieces don't command such a high price.
About the Author
Peter Bruce is a freelance journalist operating out of Toulouse in France. Subjects covered include Limoges marks for the famous pottery made in France, and Limoges boxes.
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