About Limoges, France: The City Behind Every Box
Every box we sell begins in one small city in central France. Before you choose a Limoges box, it helps to know the place it comes from. Here is Limoges in a few minutes: where it is, why it became the porcelain capital, and how a piece travels from a French workshop to your door.
Limoges at a glance
- Where: central-western France, on the Vienne river, about 3 hours south of Paris by train
- Region: the old Limousin province, today part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (department of Haute-Vienne)
- Known for: hard-paste porcelain, enamel work and oak forests
- Arrival by train: the Gare des Bénédictins, opened in 1929, with its tall clock tower
- Honors: named a UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Art in 2017
A short timeline
| Middle Ages | Limoges workshops become famous across Europe for painted enamel on copper. |
| 1768 | Pure white kaolin clay is found at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, just south of the city. It is the key ingredient of true hard-paste porcelain. |
| 1771 | The first porcelain manufactory opens in Limoges. |
| 1800s | Dozens of factories open. American importer David Haviland settles in Limoges in the 1840s and ships Limoges china to the United States. |
| 1900s | Small decorating studios begin making the hinged, hand-painted trinket boxes collectors now call "Limoges boxes." |
| Today | Family workshops in and around Limoges still mold, fire and paint boxes by hand. |
Why Limoges, and not somewhere else?
Three things came together here: kaolin in the ground, oak forests to fuel the kilns, and rivers to carry wood and finished pieces. Generations of skilled painters followed. That is why "Limoges" on the bottom of a box means something: the porcelain was made in the Limoges region.
From a Limoges workshop to your door
- Molded. Liquid porcelain is poured into plaster molds, then dried.
- Fired. Each piece is fired in a kiln at very high heat until it turns hard and white.
- Painted by hand. An artist paints the design, often in several layers, with a firing after each color.
- Fitted. A metal hinge and clasp are set by hand.
- Signed. The base is marked "Limoges France," usually with "Peint Main" and the painter's initials. See real marks here.
- Shipped. The piece is imported to the U.S. and sent to you gift boxed.
If you visit Limoges
- Musée national Adrien Dubouché: the national porcelain museum, with pieces from around the world
- Cathédrale Saint-Étienne: the Gothic cathedral above the Vienne
- Pont Saint-Étienne: a medieval stone bridge over the river
- Quartier de la Boucherie: the old butchers' street with half-timbered houses
- Porcelain shops and factory stores: found all around the city center
Quick answers
How do you say Limoges? "Lee-MOHZH." The S is silent.
Is all Limoges porcelain made in one factory? No. "Limoges" names the region, not one company. Many workshops make and paint pieces there.
Is a box marked only "Limoges," without "France," real? Be careful. Look for "Limoges France" together. How to read the marks.
Shop Limoges boxes
Browse our Paris and France Limoges boxes, or see all Limoges boxes.
Limoges Direct: Limoges boxes for collectors.