Is Limoges China or Porcelain?

Limoges is a city in France that is famous for its porcelain production. Limoges porcelain refers not to a specific maker or factory, but to any porcelain that comes out of the region around Limoges. The name Limoges Porcelain has been protected since 2017, so that only porcelain made in Limoges and the immediate surrounding areas that respect the traditional production techniques are allowed to carry the name Limoges Porcelain.

Limoges Porcelain is hard-paste porcelain. Sometimes referred to as “true porcelain”, hard-paste porcelain was first made in China, hence the term china is commonly used to describe porcelain. The term porcelain actually comes from the Latin word porcella which means seashell, and alludes to the smooth, white, lustrous and almost translucent nature of porcelain.

Limoges became famous for the production of hard-paste porcelain in...