Interesting Facts about Porcelain Hinged Boxes

Ethereal, enigmatic, and enchanting-Limoges boxes present flawless works of art, which can enhance the décor and value of even the lonely display shelf at the corner of your room. Coming in delicate hinged trinket boxes and bearing striking scenery and figurines meticulously painted by dexterous hands, these pieces have become much sought-after rare treasures by vintage or antique collectors in recent times.

However, the origin of these wonderful creations goes back to several centuries in France and bears a legendary history to talk about. Here are some interesting facts about Limoges porcelain.

Chinese Porcelain and French Porcelain

Going back in time porcelain was a material synonymous with China and oblivious to the French and rest of Europe. The Chinese porcelain was inimitable at that time and in an act of imitating it, a sort of soft porcelain was produced in certain regions of the continent. This was however, no way comparable to the high quality of porcelain imported from the Chinese soils.

The advent of the special white clay Kaolin was witnessed in the 18th century when the mineral was unfathomed in the city of Limoges near St.Yrieix in France. This material was at par with the ones found in the Kao Ling region of China and had immense potential to create magnificent porcelain artwork. However, it was the creative genius of one German alchemist, who ultimately led to the creation of the fine Limoges porcelain boxes famous worldwide. This was done by carving the white mold base or whiteware through perfect blend of certain materials along with Kaolin.

Limoges Porcelain Manufacturing - Then and Now

Limoges, the city already known for its immaculate art of pottery, became the hub of Limoges porcelain manufacturing under the patronage Mr. Turgot, businessman of the then King Louis XVI. Sevres became the Royal factory producing Limoges porcelain and Limoges produced the first line of porcelain dinnerware under the commission of the Royal Court of France. The Limoges porcelain items of those times bore the words French Fleur de Lys, a symbol marking its authenticity along with royal crests, which have today become marks of appraisal for traditional Limoges items.

With the coming of the 19th century, Limoges saw blossoming of a plethora of factories producing their trademark designs of Limoges porcelain boxes and bringing the beautiful artwork to the forefront of International market. Today, apart from the traditional factories, a number of other companies have seen a booming growth as premier manufacturers and decorators of Limoges porcelain.

One of the top brands is the Rochard line of boxes known the world over for its delightful artistry and custom design. The manufacturing of these exquisite pieces is an assiduous and painstaking process engaging multiple firings done at 1400C, which is responsible for the glistening white finish of the box. The mixture of the porcelain comprises the purest quality of Kaolin clay possessing oxides of aluminum, iron, silicon and others and quartz, pulverized and feldspar.

Understanding Authentic Limoges Boxes

One of the easiest ways of testing the authenticity of Limoges boxes is to understand whether they are porcelain hinged boxes. Hinges in a Limoges box today come in copper or copper alloy materials and are specially mounted by hand, making it fit the box perfectly without being loose. They also come with decorative clasps. Other ways of gauging the genuineness is looking for the Limoges France stamp, surface decoration, artist’s name, mold number and importer’s marks or initials.

Limoges Boxes and Figurines- Things to Cherish for Vintage Collectors

Your son has just taken his first step or your daughter has won the first prize in a dance performance. It is your 25th marriage anniversary or your husband got a terrific breakthrough in his career. Whatever may be the reason for extolment Limoges boxes and figurines can be some of the most unique and exquisite things to gift.

Above all, if you are an avid collector of vintage items, you are sure to turn all heads to your display shelf simply by keeping a few of these impeccable art pieces. However, as a serious collector you need to take into consideration a few things before picking out a box simply because you like the look of it.

Know the Authentic Manufacturers: Duplicate Limoges boxes have flooded the market these days owing to the burgeoning demand of these pieces of art. Hence, in order to ensure that you are not laying your hands on a figurine done by some brick and mortar local artist, it is imperative to know some of the genuine manufacturers.

Vintage Limoges boxes were traditionally designed and manufactured by royal commission and are rare varieties possessing Fleur de Lys imprinted on them. Some of the more recent manufacturers are Haviland, Rochard, Artoria, Dubarry and the likes who are known for their excellent craftsmanship in designing the boxes.

Decoration: The surface decoration is another important criterion to look at. For adding some of the immaculate hand décor varieties, look out for the label Peint Mein. Alternatively, you can also try out a combination of hand work and decals where the highlighting streaks are done by hand and which will have Rehausse Main as their designation.

Detailing and Painting: Authentic Limoges boxes are known for their flawless detailing whereby artists use their creative clout to make intricate designs with one color taken at a time. When one shade is done with, a firing process is applied prior to use of another color. Hence, be aware of designs, which depict mere daubing of colors. The proportion and pragmatism of varying hues are ultimately used for putting up a specific scenery or image.

Collector’s Collection: If you wish to add to your collection of Vintage items, it is worthwhile to look for miniature sets of Limoges tea and coffee designed by a particular factory or artisan. Alternatively, you can also accumulate the items in tune with a particular theme, occasion, or animals.

Limited Edition Boxes: The Limited Edition Limoges boxes are truly valuable pieces of art that not only enhances your treasure trove of collectibles but can also bring you huge profits at auctions later on. If you want to add a Limited edition to your display closet, look for one, which is restricted to a specific designer. Authentic and accurate limited designs are unique in their mold designs since the detailing on the miniature is done completely by hand and by a single artisan. You can identify a limited edition from the registered trademark signature of the particular artisan.

Genuine Limoges boxes are indeed priceless treasures to cherish and it is the assiduous artwork done by hand which catapults their prices. Hence, do not be overwhelmed to come across such boxes at throwaway prices. They are likely to be duplicate ones, and will add no value to your collectibles.

Identifying the Various Marks on Traditional Limoges Boxes

From the time when the beautiful damsels of the European nobility used to flaunt their trinket snuff boxes in the 19th century, French porcelain had been synonymous with the exquisitely manufactured and painted Limoges boxes.

The factory in Sevres was the first to witness the blossoming of this beautiful piece of craftwork from white clay called Kaolin molded and designed by dexterous artisans Today, you find a plethora of manufacturers creating their own trademark designs using the distinctive French Porcelain produced in the Limoges area of France.

However, just like any other work of art, the Limoges boxes have also become the butt of fraudulence with the result that the market is flooded with fake boxes obtained at unbelievingly low prices. In order to understand the value and authenticity of Limoges boxes, you have to be aware of the marks that come on the traditional limoges boxes.

Factory or Maker: The maker’s mark denotes the factory where the white Kaolin is turned into whiteware or blank through casting and firing processes. The impression is made on the porcelain prior to the above processes. It can be seen under the glaze usually bearing the words “Limoges France” or numbers, colors or scripts as preferred by the manufacturer. You might also come across specific symbols like butterfly, bird, or star.

Decorator’s Mark: The decorator’s mark is visible over the glaze and may come in handwritten, stamped or printed forms. Decorating companies generally go for printed or stamped marks, while individual artisans prefer writing by hand. In case where the maker and decorator are same, the manufacturer generally adds a second type of mark for the boxes it manufactures as well as decorates and a different mark for the pieces, which it only manufactures and sells as undecorated whiteware.

The decorator’s mark reflects the way the Limoges porcelain was designed or decorated by the artisan. Hence, the words Peint Main denotes that the decoration was done completely by hand and Rehausse Main means the highlighting streaks were made by hand along with a combination of decals. On the other Décor Main depicts that some part of the decoration had been created by hand. The stamp of the artist might be inscribed in initials or signature form.

Importer’s Mark: Limoges porcelain may be associated with thousands of companies manufacturing these enticing pieces of art. However, there are very few companies who have shot up as being top-notch manufacturers and importers, giving the items their brand name. Some of the famous importers Artoria Limoges, Rose Décor, Chamart Exclusives Inc, Rochard Limoges boxes, Sinclair, La Gloriette, Chanille and the likes. The peculiar designs on the porcelain also point at specific manufacturers. For example fruit designs on Rochard boxes take up larger dimensions that those by others.

Mold Marks: The boxes are cast in three-dimensional molds, which are immaculately created from the Kaolin clay. A single mold is made to create a few boxes with unique designs. However, the number of boxes from each mold cannot exceed 100 since by that time the mold’s detailing is eradicated. The mold number is also indicated in each trinket box.

Limoges boxes of Limited editions have special registered trademark as well as the signature of the particular artist.

Cleaning and Repairing Limoges Porcelain Boxes and Other Items

The exquisitely crafted and hand-painted Limoges boxes splashed with the right hues with apt proportion and precision have unique aesthetic charm. And if maintained and cleaned with care the porcelain boxes made from special Kaolin clay can shoot up in their value too. Although delicate, maintaining the Limoges porcelain boxes or dinnerware is no herculean task. However, it is worthwhile to make a more or less regular regime of dusting the items lightly with a soft cloth. Everyday wiping off the dust will prevent the boxes and figurines to catch dust or get a scratch.

Removing Dirt from Crevices

Although you might have been careful enough to care for and maintain your precious Limoges items, it is natural at times for dust to seep inside the cracks and crevices and get embedded. In such cases, you just need to take a bowl filled with warm water and use a few drops of very mild detergent in it. It is best to dust off the external dirt of the Limoges boxes before dipping it into the soap water.

Wipe and rinse off with a soft cloth or light sponge. You can also wipe off accumulated dirt in crevices using a soft bristled dusting brush, dipping it in the soap water and gently brushing off the dust. The box or piece then needs to be soaked once more in clean distilled water and dried with a soft cloth.

Removing Hard Stains

For erasing off difficult stains, the miniature or even Limoges figurines or dinnerware should be soaked in a padded sink or bowl of warm water mixed with two tablespoons of mild detergent for about 20 to 30 minutes. Be careful to read the ingredients of the detergent ensuring that it is free of chlorine and bleach. You will be able to see the stains gradually disappearing after which the items need to be washed in clean distilled warm water and patted dry.

Repairing Different Types of Limoges Boxes

Your son has just dropped your precious Limoges box and caused a crack on its surface. Do not worry, for such minor cracks and chips can be repaired without much hassle. For this, you need to get some epoxy putty, razor blades or butter knife, artist brushes, cold-cure lacquer and silicon carbide paper of the finest grade.

Once you have all the tools, scrape a small amount of the epoxy putty with the help of a butter knife on the chipped off place. The putty then requires some dampening and smoothening by taking some water on the edges of the knife and pressing it along the damaged area gently. When the putty gets completely dry take some silicon carbide paper to further smoothen it. Take the fine bristled and soft artist’s brush and apply a coat of white cold-cure lacquer and keeping the box in a safe place for 12 hours to dry it completely. If some patterns need to be filled up get some acrylic paints of the necessary colors and use them to finely fill the missed cracks with brush sizes ranging from 00 to maximum of 3.

Remember mending and maintaining your Limoges boxes in time helps you keep up their true value and make them some of the most treasured additions to your showcase.

Authentic Limoges Boxes - Perfect Array of Gift Ideas for Your Mother

Are you worried about what to gift your mother on her birthday or how to express your love towards her on Mother’s Day? The woman who picked out the choicest of things for your needs or brought home your favorite doll and surprised you with a lavish birthday party definitely deserves something special and unique. And what can be a more exclusive and exquisite a gift than a Limoges box?

Beautifully painted in meticulous designs by hand atop special white clay called Kaolin from the soils of France, these charming works of art are indeed rare and precious treasures to cherish for life. In fact, authentic Limoges boxes by such top-notch manufacturers like Rochard are still made in Limoges. Here are some Limoges box gifting ideas for your mother.

Pets and Hobbies: 

If your mother is a dog-lover, how about presenting her with a Limoges box, with the figurine of her favorite dog breed? Mothers who are music mavens will simply fall in love with the magnificent musical collection in shapes of piano, drum sets, guitars, violins, harps, and what not. Your mother has always shown her culinary skills in preparing delectable dishes for you.

So just pick out a miniature cookbook along with a pan Limoges box or a tiny barbeque grill as a means of expressing your gratitude for all the lovely recipes. Gardening, reading books, sports- you can choose anything that your mother is fond of from the delightful line of luxury Limoges collection.

Ladies Accessories: 

Women are fascinated by accessories of all sorts - from shoes and moccasins to bags to cosmetics, perfumes and loads more. And you can find all of these from the vast repertoire of ladies accessories Limoges figurines. The themes are exquisitely presented through the ethereal designs celebrating the feminine spirit and passion. For fashion freak mothers the Anne Fashion Collection or the Beatrice Fashion Collection are just the apt gifts with the right craft of colors. If your mom is crazy about bags and shoes, gift her with the bewitching Bloomingdale’s Little Brown Bag or the Apple Blossom Shoebox with a pair of vibrant red shoes.

 

Travel, Wine and Beverages:

Does your mother love to be on the move, traveling the myriad places on the globe? Gift her with travel themes picked out of famous attractions worldwide such as Eiffel Tower and Big Ben or a Beach basket and Brown Sea Shell. Celebrate Mother’s Day or your parents’ anniversary with Champagne and Caviar Limoges box or a Cocktail Shaker and Wine Barrel- the list remains endless.

Whatever be the theme that you choose, Limoges boxes are sure to bring a smile on her face. The trinket boxes can be used variedly to keep jewelry, medicines, small items of importance and above all as delightful repository of decorative collectibles. With their aristocratic history, grand designs, and themes depicting everything under the sky, Limoges boxes are indeed one of the best gifts to present the woman who brought you to this world.