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Allee du Roi |
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Allee du Roy or Roi is a Limoges porcelain by Raynaud that evokes an unspeficied royal period of France’s history. The elegant symetric floral design is a timeless classic. |
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Antique Limoges porcelain |
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Antique Limoges porcelain: the first Limoges Limoges porcelain manufactory was founded in 1771 was named after Louis XVI’s brother, the Count of Artois. It was sold back to the king in 1784 with the name of Royal Manufactory and the porcelain was destined to be used for the Sèvres porcelain. To avoid all confusion with the Sevres manufacture, a royal decree imposed that all porcelain manufactures paint, engrave or print their hallmark on their works. After the Revolution, the decree was no longer respected and it was only in the second half of the 19th century that, on the back of each piece, reappeared the distinctive marking enabling the manufacturer to be identified. |
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Bone china |
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Bone china is type of porcelain body first developed in Britain in which calcined ox bone, bone ash, is a major constituent. It is characterized by high whiteness, translucency and strength.
Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Minton are all companies associated with fine bone china and the 18th century development of industrialized processes in the “potteries” area around Stoke-on-Trent. |
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Canteen |
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The term canteen indicates a collection of cutlery or flatware presented in a box containing knives, forks and spoons for 6, 8 or more place settings. All the flatware sold on our site can be purchased individually or in a canteen. |
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Cristobal |
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Cristobal from Raynaud is a Limoges porcelain creation by Albert Pinto for this manufacturer with every piece carefully studied, each one bearing its own story. Small touches in the Cristobal world of opulence compose, construct and constantly renew the unique elegance that is the hallmark of this talented decorator. |
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Cutlery |
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Cutlery refers to any hand utensil (knife, fork, spoon) used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the original meaning of the word. Since silverware suggests the presence of silver, the term tableware has come into use.
On this website we sell cutlery made of sterling silver, plated silver and stainless steel made by Ercuis, Couzon, Saint Médard (Eternum) and Alain Saint-Joanis.
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Heloise |
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Heloise, Olivier Maillefer’s lastest creation for Porcelain Raynaud’s 18th century collection, was inspired by « La nouvelle Heloise” written in 1761 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French pre-romantic; The motif of this dinner service in Limoges porcelain has a bucolic theme rendered in a purely decorative fashion where berries are as regular as pearls and the leaves are set in garlands. |
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Limoges porcelain |
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The manufactory of hard-paste Limoges porcelain was established by Turgot in 1771. Limoges had been the site of a minor industry producing plain faience earthenwares since the 1730s, but the first identified French source of kaolin and a material similar to petuntse, the ingredients used for the production of hard-paste porcelain similar to Chinese porcelain, were discovered at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, near Limoges.
The term "Limoges porcelain" or "porcelaine de Limoges" describes the porcelain made by manufacturers situated in and around the town of Limoges. They include Raynaud, Medard de Noblat, Robert Haviland and C. Parlon, Haviland, Philippe Deshoulières, Royal Limoges, Bernardaud and others. “Limoges porcelain” therefore represents the name of the town where it was made and is not a brand name. |
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Marquises et Mandarins |
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Marquises and Mandarins by Hippolyte Romain for Raynaud, Limoges: Fascinated by both the French and Chinese 18th century, Hippolyte Romain decides to blend these two cultures in a Limoges porcelain dinner service with shapes and patterns that combine subtle refinement and visual pleasure. |
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Metamorphoses |
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Metamorphoses by Raynaud and designed by Marina Chastenet is a dinner service in Limoges porcelain where butterflies fly around red and gold circles. |
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Nature |
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Nature, designed by the renowned floral art specialist Christian Tortu for Raynaud, is a Limoges porcelain dinner service that plays on subtle variations of light and colors on a background of grass and leaves truer than nature. A specific technique enables a decorative relief reinforced by a shadow. |
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Point |
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The Point shape by Raynaud is made in plain white porcelain and was specially designed for Thomas Keller’s restaurants. Thomas Keller was elected “World’s best chef” in 2002. He chose Level, a San Francisco design agency and the Limoges porcelain manufacturer Raynaud to create his Point collection. Point is a kind of tribute to Ferdinand Point in recognition of his marked influence on French gastronomy.
Point by Raynaud comes in plain white and also in “Checks” and “Pluie” versions.
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Porcelaine |
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Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating selected and refined materials often including clay in the form of kaolinite to high temperatures. Raw materials for porcelain, when mixed with water, form a plastic paste that can be worked to a required shape before firing in a kiln at temperatures between about 1200 and 1400 degrees Celsius. The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the formation at high temperatures of glass and the mineral mullite within the fired body.
Raynaud, Medard de Noblat, Robert Haviland and C. Parlon, Haviland, Philippe Deshoulières, Royal Limoges, Bernardaud and others are among the most renowned Limoges porcelain manufacturers. Wedgwood, Minton and Royal Doulton have long historical links with the production of bone china, a type of porcelain developed in Britain in the 18th century. Royal Copenhagen in Denmark and Rosenthal in Germany are also among the leading European fine porcelain manufacturing names. |
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Raynaud |
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Founded in 1849, the Montjovis manufacture was built on the hill bearing the same name alongside eleven other porcelain manufactures. Under Napolean III, it became famous for its technically complex works. This industrial “tout de force” mainly resides in achieving the harmony of colors resulting from years of research, opening the way to infinite combinations of fade-resistant decorations still used today by porcelain makers. The Montjovis kiln is the only one left today and it stands on the original location of the Raynaud manufacture. |
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Sheffield plate |
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Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles. Almost every article made in sterling silver was also crafted by Sheffield makers, who used this manufacturing process to produce nearly identical wares at far less cost. The French hallmarking authorities require a minimum of 33 microns of silver or 120 gms per 12 pieces of cutlery. This is indeed a minimum and we recommend the silverware made by the French silversmith, Ercuis, who uses 63 microns or 150 gms of silver per 12 pieces. This thicker layer of silver will ensure a longer life for your knives, forks and spoons. |
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Si Kiang |
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Si Kiang by Raynaud is inspired by a Chinese theme making it an extremely elegant and yet very “today” Limoges porcelain dinner service. |
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Silver |
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Silver has been known since antiquity. It has long been valued as a precious metal and used in currency, ornaments and jewelry, as well as utensils (hence the term silverware). Definitions for flatware, sterling silver, silver plate, stainless steel, etc… can be found elsewhere in this glossary. These terms will help you understand the quality of the the flatware that we have for sale from such companies as Ercuis, Couzon, Saint-Médard, Eternum and Alain Saint-Joanis. |
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Silver plate |
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Plated ware refers to articles chiefly intended for tableware consisting of an base metal or alloy covered by one of the precious metals, with the object of giving them the appearance of gold or silver. Historically, the standard amount of precious metal used was an ounce of silver per square foot of surface area. Large scale production dates to 1742 when Thomas Bolsover, of Sheffield, England developed a process by which silver plates were fused to base metal (generally copper) ingots by heating them in a furnace with borax. The ingots were then rolled down to a sheet, and from these sheets silver-plated articles were made.
Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles. Almost every article made in sterling silver was also crafted by Sheffield makers, who used this manufacturing process to produce nearly identical wares at far less cost.
The French hallmarking authorities require a minimum of 33 microns of silver or 120 gms per 12 pieces of cutlery. This is indeed a minimum and we recommend the silverware made by the French silversmith, Ercuis, who uses 63 microns or 150 gms of silver per 12 pieces. This thicker layer of silver will ensure a longer life for your knives, forks and spoons. |
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Silverware |
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Silverware is a term covering utensils, in particular cutlery, using silver. Definitions for flatware, sterling silver, silver plate, stainless steel, etc… can be found elsewhere in this glossary. These terms will help you understand the quality of the the silverware that we have for sale from such companies as Ercuis, Couzon, Saint-Médard, Eternum and Alain Saint-Joanis. |
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Sterling silver |
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Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The term "Sterling Silver", in reference to the .925 grade of silver, emerged in England by the 13th century. Like the term "pound sterling", the word seems to have acquired its meaning over a while, and from several convergent sources.
A sterling silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in many countries, taken to an Assay office for testing of the purity of the metal. The item is then marked, usually via hammer and punch, with the Hallmark of that particular nation. Because this process leaves sharp edges and spurs of metal, it is generally done before the item is sent for its final wheel polishing.
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Wing Song |
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Wing Song, or Histoire Naturelle in French, is a tale of nature designed by Pamela Baldwin for porcelain manufacturer Raynaud, Limoges, is filled with birds and butterflies. Species that have become extremely rare and must be protected are beautifully depicted by a talented wildlife artist. |
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