French porcelain, especially, hand-painted French porcelain is an exclusive art form crafted in the Limousine region of central France. The Limousine region includes the city of Limoges as well as its surrounding small towns and villages.
Unlike many other types of collectibles that are crafted or manufactured in various countries around the world, a porcelain Limoges box must be crafted and hand-painted in the city of Limoges and/or its vicinity in order to be considered authentic.
For more information about what a French Limoges box is and why Limoges boxes are collected, see What Is A Limoges Box? Collecting Limoges Boxes 101.
The city of Limoges and its vicinity boasts of a series of small and medium-sized porcelain factories that create pure white porcelain in a variety of styles and shapes. The porcelain produced by these factories are all called by the designated title “Limoges”. The variety of porcelain products in these factories include tableware, decorative arts, jewelry, as well as the highly coveted and collectible Limoges boxes, to name a few.
Some factories which produce the white porcelain shapes also have their own in-house artists who paint the white porcelain Limoges boxes. Other independent porcelain artists in Limoges work in their own atelier or workshops to produce these miniature works of art. These artists acquire the white porcelain from the Limoges porcelain factories and masterfully hand-paint their Limoges boxes in exceptional and artistic styles. The resulting products are magnificent miniature art forms that are greatly sought after and worthy of collecting by art enthusiasts worldwide.
Various French Limoges boxes made in Limoges, France.
If you are curious about the process and method of creating a porcelain Limoges box, see How French Porcelain Limoges Boxes Are Made.
A Brief History of Porcelain Production In Limoges
The history of porcelain production in Limoges goes back several centuries.
In the early 1700s, when Keolin (one of the main ingredients in porcelain paste) was first discovered in the Limoges region of France, it opened the door for numerous small factories and workshops to be established and to produce the greatly sought-after pure white porcelain. In a short time period, the porcelain production only increased in Limoges as did the popularity of the porcelain products throughout Europe.
By the middle of the 20th century, Limoges porcelain, and especially collectible porcelain Limoges boxes gained tremendous popularity in the United States as well and Europe and other countries around the world.
At this time, there were numerous factories producing white porcelain in Limoges as well as numerous artists creating art pieces from these magnificent porcelain shapes.
The Main Factor Affecting the Value of Limoges Boxes
In the past several years, the number of white porcelain producers as well as experienced artists in Limoges has been reduced dramatically.
Many of the expert artisans who dedicated the major part of their professional careers to creating exceptional porcelain art pieces have now retired and no longer create these magnificent art forms.
With the general effects of today’s world economy which has caused prices to increase dramatically as well as the reduction in professional production of white porcelain and artistry in Limoges has caused a tremendous upward impact on the value of the Limoges boxes that are now being produced in Limoges. Limoges collectors can really appreciate the fact that their Limoges collections are now worth much more than ever before. As this exceptional art form is becoming more rare with the passage of time, these magnificent art pieces are much more valuable, much more desirable and sought-after, as well as being truly worthy of collecting.
Limoges Boxes Produced Today
The Limoges producers in Limoges, France, who continue to produce the white porcelain as well as the artists who paint them are fully committed and dedicated to adhering to the old-age art form techniques and to produce excellent and collect-worthy pieces for the world’s Limoges collectors and gift buyers.
Hand-painted French Limoges boxes remain one of the most popular collectibles and gift items today!
At LimogesCollector.com, we are proud to offer the highest quality French porcelain Limoges boxes created by the very best artisans in Limoges, France. We specialize in French Limoges boxes and import our Limoges boxes directly from the top Limoges producers in Limoges, France. We are also authorized dealers and retailers of various top Limoges brands. Our collection continually grows and includes the newest creations from Limoges as well as retired, hard-to-find and rare Limoges boxes. Choosing from over 5,000 styles of French Limoges boxes on our website, you are sure to find many pieces you would love to add to your collection as well as purchasing fantastic and worthy gifts for any occasion.
So, take a few moments now and browse our website and see which pieces capture your imagination and which ones you will add to your collection.
