What Are Some Valuable Antique Limoges China Patterns?

Arla Cherryoak/CC-BY-SA 2.0

Some valuable antique Limoges china patterns include Old Apple Blossom, Drop Rose, Saint Germaine, Old Autumn Leaf and Harrison Rose. All of these patterns were created by the manufacturer Haviland, which made between 30,000 and 60,000 patterns of Limoges china in its four factories.

Limoges china gets its name from the region in which it was made in France, and along with Haviland, which created the largest number of patterns, there were many other manufacturers of Limoges china since the 1800s when the royal family lost control of the porcelain industry. Haviland Limoge china is the best known, and its patterns were numerically classified by Arlene Schleiger in her books on Haviland Limoges china patterns. Haviland dealers now use her numerical system when dealing with the china. Each pattern has a unique Scheiger number assigned to it, and when doing searches on marketplaces such as eBay, users are advised to search for “Haviland Schleiger” followed by the pattern number.

On the back of most pieces of Limoge china, there are also several identification marks, including the word “Limoges” or the letter “L”; the name of the manufacturer; the company’s trademark; and the name of the artist, which also helps identifying the pattern. Limoges china was first created for the French royal family after the finding of kaolin in the Limoges region, which meant French artisans could make fine white porcelain similar to that crafted in China.

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