Royal Limoges...(2/4)

I visited this 'ville de feu' last weekend at Limoges, and the fantasy of porcelain and enamel in the city raises much of my interest to the craftmanship...Royal Limoges is one of the most established porcelain manufacturers in the region, and their factory boutique showcases numerous models of their production which are very interesting. The ceramic works of the manufacturer include its created form of Recamier, Ocean, Lafayette, Riviera, Saveur, Nymphea, Fantaisie and Plisse etc. In the factory boutique, there are simply piles of plates, cups, pots and other lovely procelain tableware and houseware. One of the kilns of the manufacturer becomes a museum for visitors, and the illustrated photos and drawings brief the history of the manufacturer and some story about the birth of the fire city in Limoges after the discovery of kaolin in Saint Yrieix, a place close to the production base. Royal Limoges works for famous restaurants and brasseries like la Coupole, Fuguet's, Angelina, Haagen-Dazs, Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge etc.

The technique of porcelain is indeed originated from China, and viewing the influence of the Chinese work to the French continent, the adapted work with a style of French romanism gives me a special feeling. The procelain in Limoges differs from that of Delft or other European production centres, and immersing in the passion of work at the city, I am touched. In addition, the Adrien Dubouche Museum is a very established procelain library of its kind, and the collections are just fantastic.

Some historic research about Royal Limoges (a.k.a. GDA):
The story began in 1816 when François Alluaud founded the porcelain factory with his brother Jean-Baptiste Clément named Alluaud Frères. They set up the 'Usine des Casseaux' at Limoges which was strategically located with kaolin from Saint Yrieux and the proximity to Port du Naveix enabled the transportation of wood for the kiln. In 1876, Charles Field Haviland, the son-in-law of François took over the porcelain house and modernised the factory, including a streaming machine for the kiln. However, the factory was acquired by Gérard Dufraisseix et Morel (GDM), or the latter GDA since 1900. During its mass production era, the factory hired 487 workers in 1926 and an area of 770m3. The company allied with Lanternier in 1960's to share the facilities at Casseaux to form la Société Limousine de Gestion Porcelainière (SLGP). This group then became Royal Limoges in 1989.