History about Figurine Hinged Limoges Boxes from France. |
Marco Polo s famous 24 year trip to the Orient was where the notion of porcelain and Chinese ceramics originated throughout Western Europe. The Chinese were so distinguished for their porcelain production that they influenced European style for centuries. The first Europeans to bring porcelain making to Europe during the middle ages were the Venetians and Portuguese. The most important ingredient to making porcelain is Kaolin, which is a white clay that is a silicate of aluminum found in China, Germany and Limoges France. Europeans didn t think that such an ingredients could be found in the earth and had their alchemists try to artificially make this substance.For years Europeans used a soft fake substance for porcelain that was more of a soft paste and like that of glass. They couldn t find a substance like the middle East had made their fine porcelain from. In the early 17th century Kaolin was discovered in Germany and the secret to Chinese porcelain was finally disclosed throughout Europe. It was in the mid to late 18th century that Kaolin was discovered in Limoges France in 18 miles southwest of Limoges at St. Yrieix. It is shortly after that time period that the first porcelain Limoges box factory was established. Louis XVI soon bought the Limoges Box factory, and French porcelain box blanks were taken to Sevres to be hand painted and decorated.
No one knows exactly when and who made the first porcelain snuffbox figurine. The soft paste Faience trinket snuffboxes began to be produced sometime around 1730 in France. These antique snuffboxes can't either be identified by back stamp marks, for none were put on them. Nor were they signed or dated. There is no easy way to know if a antique snuff box is authentic beyond having a grasp of the history of the styles they made in that time and the Four big factories that made them, Chantilly(1725-1800), Saint Cloud(1677-1766), Mennecy(1734-73), and Vincennes(1740-56), which became Royal Sevres(1756-present). Sometimes a popular artist at the time would place his signature on the antique snuffbox. The discovery of Kaolin and the creation of hard-paste French porcelain in 1768 brought many new companies into the scene who began creating Limoges porcelain boxes in competition with the big Limoges porcelain box companies. Identifying an 18th century figurine snuffbox is just as difficult for they also did not mark their Limoges Boxes with back stamps and competitors were producing knockoff's of one another and stealing one another's porcelain formulas and enamel recipes. For back stamps were used it is still difficult to distinguish for many companies in competition would forge one another's french trinket box back stamps. It is in the 19th century that the soft-paste porcelain ceased to exist and only genuine Limoges porcelain boxes were made of the special clay Kaolin come solely into play. But in the 18th century snuff became unpopular and the factories declined in snuff hinged box making and made more other subjects with porcelain. It was at this time that the French porcelain industry all centered in the actual area of Limoges and it's outlying areas.
Limoges (LEEmozh) is the way you pronounce the city in France where limoges boxes are made. It is not pronouced with a plural Limoge, and always has a silent S. Limoge, lamoge, and limouge ,limouges, lemoges, lamouge are all mispronunciations. The plural form is always one Limoges box, not one Limoge figurine box.
Limoges Boutique only sells genuine French porcelain boxes that are hand mounted, made, and hand-painted or decorated in the Limoges, France region. Limoges is a porcelain region that has been chosen by the French government. Limoges boxes are not a brand name or a single porcelain factory per say for many factories and studios within the porcelain production area may mark their porcelains Limoges France to make our pieces authentic French porcelain gifts for trinket collections of figurines.
Limoges Boxes are a small hand-painted trinket box made of Porcelain that has been man-made in Limoges France. The Hinged Trinket Box was invented in Paris in the early 1700's, and were popular among the French aristocracy as snuffboxes. The French Trinket Box virtually disappeared around the French Revolution and came forth again in the 1840's as the aristocracy once again began to build. During the Victorian Era the snuff collectible boxes lost popularity again until the 1970's when people began to carry their pills in the porcelain figurine hinged boxes. Originally Limoges snuffboxes were considered apart of ones wardrobe and we made in all kinds of designs and shapes. They were carried in one 's pocket like a fancy cigarette case. In the 20th century they became popularly used as pillboxes.Snuff went out of style long ago. These Limoges boxes in the modern era have developed into a friendship and love collectible decorative objects or the most part French Trinket Boxes today are used as A special figurines porcelain gifts between lovers and friends and used for aesthetic and symbolic value thereof.
Many studios operating within the Limoges area may mark their porcelains Limoges France The number of factories producing Keepsake Boxes currently estimate at about 35 different companies. These factories employ anywhere between 6 and 400 workers. These companies can be identified by the marking on the bottom of every trinket or figurine box.
Collecting French porcelain hinged figurines can become an addiction.. Whether you like enchanting groups of dogs or cats or fruit. it's important to know what you are getting. Trinket Box is a small hand-painted box made of Limoges hard paste Porcelain that has been man-made in France. Plain white porcelain Limoges boxes were very popular in the early years for their simplicity and translucent white beauty, but now most porcelain from France now are hand painted or with transfers decorations. The porcelain Limoges Box artist works with special thin powdered paints. Authentic french hinged figurine boxes are always hinged . Because porcelain shrinks during firing and each box is hand painted, each collectible piece is slightly different, and the metal hinges that are put on Limoges Boxes must be be fitted by hand. No two Limoges boxes are exactly the same.
Hard paste porcelain is a high quality porcelain that was first developed in China and later used in Europe. This hard paste Limoges porcelain uses the clay called Kaolin. Kaolin Limoges clay is translucent, durable, nonporous and pure white. consists mainly of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide, with a low content of iron oxide and other metallic oxides. White-firing China clay, an essential ingredient of Chinese and French porcelain. Limoges porcelain is a special kind of pottery made with the clay Kaolin that is hardened by heating. It consists mainly of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide, with a low content of iron oxide and other metallic oxides. Limoges porcelain combines a very fine, pure, white clay (kaolin) with pulverized feldspar and quartz. The milling, sieving, and kneading of the clay is a laborious process. Limoges porcelain is often very translucent and consistently smooth in texture and often rings when it is struck.
All true Limoges Boxes for trinkets
have hinges or a hinge. Today's hinged are made of copper or a copper
alloy and are dipped in chemicals to give the appearance of different
metals. They also have a decorative clasp. Often a Limoges will
appear defective because the hinge is off center or is doesn't close
tightly. This is not so, for Limoges firing shrinks the boxes and the
hinges have to be hand mounted making the matching of the hinge of the
box naturally different for each individual box.
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Authentic French Limoges Box |
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To be authentic a Limoges figurine box must be made of Limoges kaolin porcelain. A back stamp saying Limoges France is a great indication if the box is authentic. There was a law that was passed in 1841 stating that all French porcelain keepsake boxes must be stamped this way. Some keepsakes are better quality that other depending on the degree of detail and quality of the painting, the complexity of the sculpture, and the colors which depict the knowledge, as well as number of firings. A Limoges box of greater value will always be hand-painted and marked on the bottom peint mein ("painted by hand"). Trinket Boxes that are not hand painted are decorated by transfers or decal process and can be very lovely themselves. Trust your own taste and judgment when picking out a figurine Limoges box. Look for a piece that is painted well and detailed nicely. Look at the name of the manufacturer and ask for a certificate of Authenticity. Look at the craftsmanship of the box and judge whether you enjoy the artistry or not. This is what is really important isn't it...if you enjoy it.
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