Product Review

First invented in Paris in the early 1700s, Limoges boxes were immensely popular that century. The small, hand-painted porcelain containers were used by all types of people - secret lovers, bawdy noblemen, even political dissidents - to express their innermost feelings. The popularity of the boxes waned around 1800 when they virtually disappeared after the French Revolution; however, they have experienced numerous resurgences of interest throughout the subsequent centuries. This volume relates the history of Limoges porcelain boxes for collectors and enthusiasts alike, shedding light on the trials and tribulations, competitions and failures of the early manufacturers. Nancy du Tertre's detailed account also draws parallels between the early manufacturers and their modern-day counterparts, including tales of industrial espionage, design theft and the competing foreign porcelain markets in Germany, England, China and Japan.