My last post was about cooking lamb, which made me think of the Limousin region of France where the best lamb you could ever eat is raised. Yes I know New Zealand and Ireland have excellent lamb as well, but it's something in the grass of the region that gives the meat a very particular taste.
Besides lamb, Limoges is also synonymous with enameled porcelain and oak barrels for producing cognac. When I think of beautiful porcelain and cognac, I also think of tea. While living in Brooklyn I ventured out to Brighton Beach, a mostly Russian neighborhood famous for its Russian bathhouses (amongst other things). At this particular bathhouse, which was in no way fancy, I was served black tea with cherries preserved in honey and asked if I would like a little bit of cognac. Never one to turn down cognac, I agreed and was pleasantly surprised at the marriage of all the flavors. Little did I know that the cognac was probably to help me endure the sting of the birch branches I was going to be whipped with later as part of my Russian spa experience!
Limoges china is the best white china one can find outside of well, China. The technique of the hard-paste porcelain dates back to the 1700's, but the enamel industry in Limoges dates back even further. Since the 12th century Limoges was the center of enamel making. Each piece of china made in Limoges uses the same mix of feldspar, kaolin and quartz. Every piece is subjected to the same intense firing process of about 900 degrees for 16 hours, followed by the glazing process, and yet another firing at approximately 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for eight more hours.
Limoges china can be expensive, but there are always bargains to be had. The most important thing is to look for the potter's stamp or underglaze mark on the underside of any object. These marks will vary depending on the factory where it was fired and there are sometimes additional marks to represent the studio where the piece was designed and painted.
Besides lamb, Limoges is also synonymous with enameled porcelain and oak barrels for producing cognac. When I think of beautiful porcelain and cognac, I also think of tea. While living in Brooklyn I ventured out to Brighton Beach, a mostly Russian neighborhood famous for its Russian bathhouses (amongst other things). At this particular bathhouse, which was in no way fancy, I was served black tea with cherries preserved in honey and asked if I would like a little bit of cognac. Never one to turn down cognac, I agreed and was pleasantly surprised at the marriage of all the flavors. Little did I know that the cognac was probably to help me endure the sting of the birch branches I was going to be whipped with later as part of my Russian spa experience!
Limoges china is the best white china one can find outside of well, China. The technique of the hard-paste porcelain dates back to the 1700's, but the enamel industry in Limoges dates back even further. Since the 12th century Limoges was the center of enamel making. Each piece of china made in Limoges uses the same mix of feldspar, kaolin and quartz. Every piece is subjected to the same intense firing process of about 900 degrees for 16 hours, followed by the glazing process, and yet another firing at approximately 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for eight more hours.
Limoges china can be expensive, but there are always bargains to be had. The most important thing is to look for the potter's stamp or underglaze mark on the underside of any object. These marks will vary depending on the factory where it was fired and there are sometimes additional marks to represent the studio where the piece was designed and painted.
Here are a few of the stamps to get you started.
I really want a Limoges tea set. Okay what I really want is to find my own Limoges tea set. I don't want every piece to be identical because I happen to love mismatched china. I just find it charming when a table is set for a formal dinner with mismatched china, but its especially when it comes to tea sets.
My idea of a perfect Limoges tea set would be a tea pot, creamer, and sugar bowl with 6 tea cups and 6 saucers and 6 dessert plates. I might even want a Limoges tea tray. I just don't want the pieces to match. I would want every part of my tea set to be different. Another quick search on ebay proves this is again possible and affordable, but I would like very much to find the majority of my tea set on my own by scouring flea markets and brocantes.
If the idea of mismatched china doesn't appeal to you, you can find affordable 6 and 12 piece Limoges sets easily on ebay. Just make sure to ask for a close up of the pottery stamp and any information the seller might know about the set to make sure it's authentic. Also ask if there are any chips or cracks in the porcelain and how they plan to ship the item to you and definitely insist on insurance in case it is damaged en route.
I found a very charming 6 piece matched set on ebay (France) for about 60,00 euros, which may be more affordable than buying a new tea service.
For those interested in Limoges porcelain, I found an amazing blog entry that you can read here. In fact, overall I'm in love with this little blog and have added it to my Inspirations
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