![]() ![]() Going back to The Antiques Road Show – that’s one of their first tests when they’re assessing an heirloom. Just hold it up to the light and you’ll see the faint glow through the solid fine china. In restaurants or at the houses of friends – they want to see who made it, to make sure it is real Limoges” I’m told. “In Limoges, everyone checks the backs of their plates. The People of Limoges are potty for pottery Dinner services, teapots, ornaments, lights, there are small quirky shops and huge warehouses of porcelain. The town of Limoges is peppered with stores selling cups and saucers of every size, shape and style. The porcelain industry continues to flourish here. Fans of The Antiques Road Show will know that Limoges Porcelain is the crème de la crème, the best in the world. In 1768, the discovery of kaolin near Limoges kick started the porcelain industry that the town is now known for around the world. Bishops, priests and locals carved out a 12-mile network of tunnels to store food, grain and wine during the hot summers and to hide from the marauding army of the Black Prince in 1370.Ĭenturies later, a cathedral and chateau were built and the town grew busy and rich. Some remains are still there. The birthplace of Renoir and home of Balzac and Molière, Limoges is a city of secrets. They built villas and baths, an amphitheatre and all the mod cons of the day. ![]() The Romans settled there, finding a sunny hill that was well drained with a river close by. We invite you to enjoy our Rochard Limoges box collection.There has been a city where Limoges now stands, for thousands of years. The decorative pieces we collect today provide us with a clear and colorful link to the past – and creative possibilities of tomorrow. ![]() Today, Limoges boxes are used to mark life’s special occasions or collected as prizes of lasting beauty. Originally created to hold snuff, but also candies and other cherished objects, these miniature boxes became symbols of their times, reflecting, perhaps more than any other everyday object, the social mores, decorative skills, technological advances and even politics of the ancient regime. The art has been elevated to embrace wonderful whimsy in a variety of collections. Today’s Limoges boxes, however, serve a more decorative and collectable purpose. The process continues to be done by hand and in miniature. Looking back, it is amazing to discover that very little has changed in the manufacturing of Limoges boxes in the 300 years since their introduction. To understand the origins of today’s Limoges porcelain box, one has to consider both the history of porcelain, to discover how Limoges, France became a world leader in producing fine porcelain, and the snuff boxes of the late 17th and 18th centuries, when many of the designs that continue to inspire designers today were first crafted by French factories. Remarkably, they were once objects of scorn – Louis XIV abhorred snuff – and desire – one German count possessed more than 700 of them. When admiring these miniatures, it may be difficult, in this day and age, to imagine the colorful history behind these highly collectible objects d’art. A Rochard Limoges porcelain box, easily held in the palm of one’s hand, is the epitome of miniature beauty, of craftsmanship par excellence. ![]()
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