28 Antique J Pouyat Limoges France Gold Rim Octagonal Serving Dishes Saucers

Description

Twenty eight piece antique J. Pouyat Limoges France hand painted porcelain serving dishes and saucers featuring a divided blank octagon design with gold rim. The oval bowl has a neoclassical wreath theme, and two saucers have an alternating roses theme. Includes two plate storage bags.

Limoges is a city in central France. Deposits of the materials necessary for making porcelain were found near there in 1768. A doctor's wife found a deposit of white earth near the village of St. Yrieix and it turned out to be kaolin, which along with feldspar are the ingredients for making fine, Chinese-style hard-paste porcelain.

A porcelain-making industry around Limoges became important in the 19th century. Eventually, many firms made porcelain in Limoges, and one of them was the company belonging to Jean Pouyat, who signed pieces made in his factory with 'J.P.' over an 'L.'

The Pouyat family had a tin-glazed-earthenware factory in St. Yrieix when the kaolin was discovered and Jean Pouyat's grandfather owned a kaolin mine there. Jean's father, Francois, ran a porcelain factory in Paris from the early 1800s to around 1840, and Jean established his own porcelain factory in Limoges in 1842.

Jean Pouyat died just a few years later, in 1849, and the business passed to his sons. In 1911, the Jean Pouyat Co. merged with William Guerin and Co. and, after the end of World War I, both companies became part of Bawo and Dotter. The Jean Pouyat marks were used until 1932, when Bawo and Dotter went out of business.

Jean Pouyat was a major exporter of porcelain wares to the United States and sent over both decorated and undecorated wares called 'blanks.' The 'blanks' were used extensively by American decorating studios such as Pickard and by amateur china painters.

Condition

Good overall condition, wear and distressing commensurate with age and use, fading to gilding, chip to corner of serving dish.

Dimensions

2 Floral Saucers- 4.625" x 0.625"
24 Lined Saucers - 5.5" x 0.75"
Oval Server - 10.5" x 3"
Octagon Server - 7.75" x 8.5"" x 1.25"
(Diameter x Height)