Getting to know your Limoges Porcelain Boxes

Catch a movie portrayed at the background of 18th century Europe and you are sure to notice the beautiful white snuffboxes, intricately designed, which the damsels flaunt. Those are the exquisite Limoges porcelain boxes made of special white clay known as Kaolin, which became predominant in Europe in the latter part of the 18th century.

The clay is only found in and around the region of Limoges in France and is at par with their Chinese counterparts with regard to excellence in quality. Today, this impeccable porcelain is produced by Limoges factories, as well as individual artisans. These people are dexterous at carving such exclusive works of art, in the Limoges city and region. Here is a sneak peek into the history and other special aspects of a Limoges porcelain box.

What is a Limoges Box

Limoges boxes are beautifully hand-crafted and hand-painted objects made of porcelain with the hard white clay Kaolin forming one of the main ingredients. These come in a variety of decorative pieces such as those portraying musical instruments, religion, hearts, games, fruits and vegetables, animals, wine and spirits, monuments and what not. They are miniatures mostly ranging between 2 to 3 inches in size and some as small as 1 inch by half inch. There are limited editions also which bear special numbers mentioned along with the artist name under the boxes.

History of Limoges \ Boxes

Before Kaolin, a silicate of aluminum was unfathomed in the region of Limoges in France, near St. Yrieix; the Europeans were completely oblivious of the fact that any such ingredient could be found. Hence, for many long years they had to be contented by producing soft paste porcelain, which was no way near to the excellent quality porcelain that China was proud about.

The production of Kaolin porcelain won the fancy of the mistress of King Louis XV Madame De Pompadour who in turn set up The Royal Factory of Sevres, which became famous throughout the globe for producing the finest porcelain. By the 19th century many Limoges factory had started blossoming because of the high demand of the boxes among the nobility and the low production cost due to the easy availability of wood reserves and labor.

Gradually the Limoges Hinged Boxes came into vogue and were used by prestigious personalities for keeping their precious items like gold, diamond, rings, and even tobacco and love letters.

How are Limoges Boxes Manufactured

Manufacturing a Limoges Porcelain box is a time-consuming and meticulous process whereby the assiduous artists create a master mold, which is then worked on for making designs with paints and colors, all done by hand. The porcelain mold thus created is then made to undergo several rounds of firings and glazing at 1400C for lending the objects the immaculately white finish. The process culminates in placing the metal hinges for operating the boxes.

With their impeccable designs and exquisite demeanor, the Limoges Porcelain boxes make the perfect gift for any occasion, whatsoever.