limoges

Haviland Limoges, A History of Elegance

Filed under: Decor

Haviland Limoges, a maker of fine porcelain is a nominee for a Luxist Award for best dishware.

The Haviland Limoges story began in 1842 when David Haviland, enthralled with the fine china coming from Limoges, France moved across the Atlantic to begin his own factory. Haviland was an importer working in New York. A customer brought in a broken tea cup looking for a match. Haviland's search for a match eventually led him to Limoges. The pure white kaolin clay found in the region produced a uniquely delicate eggshell porcelain. Not content to import the designs of others he set up his own operation. Unlike other dishware factories in the area Haviland China did not send its products to Paris for decoration. Instead Haviland set up a studio in his factory in order to create patterns that would appeal to American shoppers.

Along his sons Charles-Edward and Théodore, David Haviland grew the company and Haviland Limoges provided the state dining service for several American presidents including Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes and Theodore Roosevelt. The work of Impressionist artists also influenced Haviland's floral designs which went on to become wildly popular in the United States.

Today the company also sells silver, crystal and giftware but remains famous for its dishes. It is estimated that there are as many as 60,000 Haviland china patterns. Haviland Limoges produces some older designs as well as coming out with new collections to appeal to both modern clients and traditionalists. For over a century Haviland china has remained a standard for elegant tables.

Gallery: More from Haviland

>Source

Tags: china, decor-awards, dishware, france, Gallery-76147, haviland limoges, HavilandLimoges, limoges, nominee, porcelain

Rialto Dinnerware

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Solid white dinnerware is no longer the top choice of those who treat entertaining as a second job. This season, black and white dinnerware the way to go. The contrast is more dramatic than solid white and designers have taken advantage of this by using less traditional patterns. The Rialto Dinnerware collection is black and white Limoges porcelain with elegant, geometric patterns that are similar to those mosaic tiles found in Spain. Each piece of the set, including the cup/saucer pair, is sold in sets of four with the exception of the chargers, which are sold individually. All are available at Neiman Marcus.

Source

Tags: dining, dinnerware, limoges, mosaic, plate, plates, porcelain, spanish