Camille Fauré - Limoges, small vase

Camille Faurè produced designs for Limoges, long famed for its enamels.

Born in Perigueux, France, in 1874, Faurè spent a long apprenticeship before setting up his own workshop at Limoges, where he worked for over fifty years. Fauré became Limoges’ most famous and talented enamel artist. He exhibited in the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, which gave Art Deco its name.

Faurè’s early work, like his post–World War II designs, involved large floral patterns, often in rich colors that kept in line with the Art Nouveau movement. He exhibited through his Paris shop, and produced vases, bowls, ashtrays, boxes and other items.

Faurè’s vases were made in many different shapes, including those of the gourd, kettledrum and egg, with geometric or stylized floral patterns. It was his geometric designs, however, which set him apart as the greatest creative enameller of the Art Deco style. These geometric designs included chevrons, lozenges, diagonal and stripe patterns and floral motifs, ranging from naturalistic to stylized patterns of leaves and flowers. The geometric patterns featured strong hues of blue, red, orange and yellow accented with blacks, whereas the floral patterns had more delicate hues such as turquoise, light blue, pink, lavender and white. Some vases had panels and borders of floral motifs combined with geometric stepped and angled motifs.

Using large vessels, vases, bowls or open-mouthed jardinières, the copper was covered in multiple layers of polychrome enamels in hard, vitreous, three-dimensional geometric designs of subtle complexity and color combinations. Faurè’s friend Marty occasionally worked with him in a very similar style. Both produced a small number of pendants in enameled gold, silver and copper.

Find a collection of Camille Faurè furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by Ophir Gallery)

Limoges porcelain has withstood the test of time for centuries. The widely cherished ceramics named for the French city and commune in which they are made are synonymous with sophistication, elegance and refinement. Today, antique Limoges dinnerware, serveware, decorative objects and other porcelain products are coveted and collected all over the world. 

The story of Limoges porcelain, which refers to porcelain made in the Limoges region of France — not by a specific factory — begins in 1768. The region is a rich source of kaolin, feldspar and quartz — vital ingredients to the production of this type of pottery.

Porcelain was first made in China and spread all over the world owing to the trade routes to the Far East established by Dutch and Portuguese merchants. Given its origin, English speakers called porcelain “fine china,” an expression you still might hear today. "Fine" indeed — for over a thousand years, it has been a highly sought-after material. Meissen Porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen), which was founded in the Electorate of Saxony (now Germany), is one of the preeminent porcelain factories in Europe and was the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia.

Limoges porcelain refers to porcelain produced in and near the city of Limoges — it does not refer to a specific manufacturer — and it’s distinctive for its luminous hue and bright white qualities, providing an ideal canvas for intricately detailed hand-painted decorations. (Revered Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir began his career painting plates in Limoges.)

It wasn’t long before Limoges porcelain captured the attention of King Louis XVI — the region’s first manufactory, established toward the close of the 18th century, was placed under the protection of the King’s brother, the Comte d’Artois. It was later purchased by the King and became Manufacture Royale de Limoges. The facility produced a variety of pieces, including delicate, gold-embellished trinket boxes, ornamental vessels, Rococo-style figurines and elaborate dinnerware service sets. 

Following the end of the French Revolution in 1794, Limoges porcelain was no longer restricted, and the commercial porcelain industry ballooned. 

By 1819, Limoges had four porcelain factories, and as demand for porcelain grew during the 19th century, the industry expanded in the French city. In 1853, American businessman David Haviland opened the Haviland & Co. factory in Limoges to export porcelain to the United States. The company produced several iconic serveware collections for many American presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes. Bernardaud opened in the early 1860s.

By 1900, Limoges had 35 factories, which employed close to 8,000 workers. In 1925, Limoges porcelain was shown at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts — the design fair in Paris that brought global attention to the Art Deco style — where it garnered international acclaim. 

During the 20th century, Limoges factories such as Bernardaud collaborated with a range of notable artists and designers, including Franz Bischoff, Joan Miró, Raymond Loewy, Alexander Calder and Julian Schnabel, to name a few. 

Today, authentic Limoges porcelain tableware, vases and objets d’art continue to gain renown with collectors and design lovers all over the world. 

Find an extensive collection of antique Limoges porcelain on 1stDibs.