Crafting Elegance: The Meticulous Process of Making Limoges Boxes
The craftsmanship of a French porcelain Limoges box today continues to be a manual process which has remained unchanged for the past few centuries.
Gazing upon a French Limoges box, one is captivated by a breathtaking miniature masterpiece. Yet, the beauty that greets the eye belies the painstaking journey and collective dedication poured into crafting each of these exquisite art pieces. Meticulously handcrafted, a single Limoges box is the culmination of countless hours and the labor of many skilled artisans, each contributing their expertise to bring these intricate creations to life. Truly, these works of art are a testament to the unwavering passion and commitment that underpins their creation, one exquisite Limoges box at a time.
How French Porcelain Limoges Boxes Are Made?
The making of a French porcelain Limoges box today continues to be a manual process which has remained unchanged for the past few centuries. The method of crafting a Limoges box follows the exact same techniques that have been preserved through time for the past 200 years.
An industry expert estimates that about 30 steps are necessary and as many as 12 people involved to craft a porcelain Limoges box that fits into one’s hand!
All aspects of crafting the Limoges box follow the tradition of old.
From creating the original mold that comes in several pieces, depending on the shape of the Limoges, to the mixing the kaolin porcelain paste and the various steps described below, the only aspect of creating the French porcelain that has changed with time is the addition of electricity and gas that now powers the kilns used for firing the porcelain. This update eliminates the need to use the ancient large brick kilns that were fired with wood or coal.
No machines are used in the process of crafting a Limoges box. That is why each Limoges box is unique and the shape differs slightly from all others. This is great news for collectors, as they can be sure to always have an original and one-of-a-kind collectible French porcelain Limoges box. In the 21st century when most objects are created by machines, it is refreshing to know these art objects are crafted entirely by hand. A machine cannot replicate this creative process or the hand-painting that is done so meticulously. Every step of creating a Limoges box, from the original sketch to the fitting of the hinge is entirely hand-made.
A few examples of French porcelain Limoges boxes crafted and exquisitely hand-painted by master artisans in Limoges, France
The Process of Crafting a French Limoges Box
1. Creating the Mold
The first step of crafting a porcelain Limoges box begins with a model of the desired object. This model is usually carved or shaped from clay to represent the final form of the Limoges. The size of the model is slightly larger than the finished product due to the shrinkage that occurs during firing.
Various stages of Limoges production from Kaolin clay powder, to the mold, clay shape, first firing, glaze firing, and the final hand-painted hinged Limoges box
The model object is then used to create a mold from. The plaster mold is hand-carved in multiple segments.
2. The Porcelain Paste
Developing the porcelain paste remains a secret recipe with many porcelain manufacturers. Each factory or workshop has its own secret recipe that is highly well-guarded and tight-lipped.
The minerals that are the key ingredients necessary to create the pure white Limoges porcelain by all manufacturers are:
Kaolin – the basic white clay that adds whiteness and pliancy. Kaolin is highly resistant to heat, does not melt and gives the object its shape.
Quartz – for hardness and durability. It gives porcelain its translucent quality.
Petunce, a type of Feldspar – the melting element necessary to help fuse the ingredients into a glass-like translucent end product.
These ingredients are mixed with water, which makes a soupy soft paste. The porcelain paste is then ready to be poured into molds to create the various parts of a Limoges box.
When partially dried, the Limoges shape is carefully removed from the mold.
The shape at this point is damp and quite brittle. The damp form is carefully sponged and dusted to remove any excess particles. The separate portions of the Limoges box are then joined together, using kaolin paste as glue. The piece is sponged with cold water again to ensure all joints are smooth and the piece is in flawless condition.
A porcelain craftsperson fills a Limoges mold with porcelain paste in a porcelain factory
3. The Firing
The first firing of the kaolin is done is a relatively low temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius. This first firing is to dry and partially harden the piece so that it will not crack or break when handled by craftsmen.
At this stage, the kaolin is called “Bisquit”, a white matte form which is porous. The Limoges is then glazed by dipping each piece in a bath of liquid glaze and fired again at a high temperature of about 1400 degrees Celsius. When cooled, the porcelain piece is no longer matter but has a very shiny pure white finish.
A very large kiln filled with various Limoges porcelain objects, ready to be fired
During this firing process, the porcelain pieces shrink about 15%, which is the reason for the slight variation in size and shape of each piece. The top and the bottom portions of a Limoges box are fired together to avoid distortion and to be a perfect fit. Although, after the shrinkage, most top and bottom pieces will be slightly off. This adds a desirable effect of the object being made by hand.
Through this firing, the stone particles actually become fused together and the surface coating dissolves into a permanent bond, resulting in a translucent, shiny, pure white, smooth porcelain.
A tray of bottom and top portion of porcelain Limoges boxes ready to be painted | LimogesCollector.com
The porcelain shape is now ready to be hand-painted by an experienced porcelain painter. Porcelain painting is a lengthy and multi-level process.
Hand-painting a miniature porcelain Limoges box requires years of training and experience. The top Limoges porcelain painters that create these exquisite masterpieces are well-respected and referred to as “master artists.”
4. Hand-Painting
A master artist now begins to carry out his or her exquisite and exceptional hand-painting process.
The first step of painting a Limoges box, however, does not necessarily begin with paint.
For a detailed design, the artist creates a pattern and perforates the lines with a specialized sharp instrument. The pattern is then placed over the porcelain and the perforated holes are filled with a charcoal-like substance using a soft wooden object. The charcoal powder creates the basic motif of the design unto the porcelain shape.
The pattern can be used to trace the shape onto about 50 to 80 Limoges boxes. After that, a new pattern must be created.
This process is performed so that the multiple pieces made with the same design, even though hand-painted individually, will look as similar to each other as possible.
After the design is transferred to the porcelain, the artist draws lines over the transferred dots. For this, he uses a special black ink, created from black paint powder and confectioner sugar, so that the paint can adhere to the porcelain.
Now, the Limoges box is ready to be painted.
An artist paints a Limoges box using mixed paints | LimogesCollector.com
Adhering to the 200-year-old process, the artist mixes the paint in powder form with special oils to achieve the desired shades of color. The paints used are made with natural pigments such as cobalt, indigo, malachite, ochre and many others. Many of the Limoges boxes are also embellished with 24K gold.
Example of paint pigment in powder form for painting French porcelain Limoges boxes
With a steady hand and an artistic flair, the artist then paints the Limoges piece, one color at-a-time.
The order of adding color is of utmost importance due to the fact that each pigment can be fired at a different temperature. If the colors are added in the wrong order, they will burn during firing.
With each color applied, the Limoges receives a firing, between 800 to 1200 degrees centigrade, appropriate for the pigment used.
This is quite a lengthy process as each firing can take many minutes to hours to be completed. After each firing, the porcelain has to cool completely, which can take many hours to overnight.
Once the painting is complete, the artist either signs the piece or places the mark of the brand on the Limoges box. The signature always includes the term “Peint Main” (meaning hand-painted) as well as “Limoges, France”.
Each brushstroke makes the Limoges box a unique miniature art piece.
5. Metalwork
The metalwork is another masterful art form and a multi-level process that is performed by highly experienced and skilled craftsmen.
Once the painting and firing treatment of the porcelain is completed, the boxes are then given to the metalwork craftsmen to be hinged.
Each Limoges box is hinged individually.
The brass or copper mounting is cut by hand, measured for size around each individual piece of porcelain, brazed in very high temperature to form the exact shape of the piece.
The hinges are then placed on a ring (to retain their fitting order) and immersed into acid for a few hours to develop a patina. Depending on the style of the Limoges box, the metalwork color can vary from bright gold to deep antique gold. Some styles use a silver finish.
The hinges are then fitted by hand around the edge of each piece (exactly in order - as each piece has a unique shape) for a perfect fit and the top and bottom of the box (and other sections, if any) are attached with a hinge. A decorative clasp is then brazed to the front of the Limoges box. The end result is an exquisite work of art with magnificent detailed hand-painting and shiny glaze, ready for your enjoyment!
Each Limoges box is an exquisite work of art with magnificent design, hand-painting and glossy glaze. Each box is a valuable heirloom art piece, to be passed through the generations, allowing the work of the exceptional porcelian artists and craftsmen from Limoges to enchant our hearts.
At LimogesCollector.com, we are proud to offer a very large selection of fine French Limoges boxes crafted and hand-painted by the most artistic porcelain makers in Limoges, France. We are sure that with each visit, you will find many irresistable French Limoges boxes you will want to own. So, take a few minutes to browse our collection of French Limoges boxes in every category and style and for every occasion.
