** We entertain any serious offers on this item **
 
TOP PIECE!

Marked with the Limoges underglaze: Limoges Peint a la main, we offer a rectangular Limoges enamel porcelain box with gilt bronze mounts. The box rests on four lion paw feet, and all around the fittings and body is richly decorated with volutes and foliage. The centered panel surface of the lid is decorated with a scene depicting three characters that seem to be baby angels playing and holding each other. The the four sides of the casket and on the hinged lid are beautifully decorated with golden gilded foliage . The interior has four bouquets of Roses and the base on the outside is lined with red velt.

The box measures: Circa :1880 Dim: W: 8.00 in - D: 5.50 in - H: 5.00 in. Dim: L: 20.00cm, D:13.00 cm, H: 12.5 cm.

Perfect condition Impressive large size and outstanding quality.
 
A little History for new collectors: When buying Limoges, look for telltale marks under the glaze, not on it, on the back or bottom of the piece. Marks were applied on "whiteware," prior to any painting or glazing. If the mark was applied on top of the glaze, that's the work of a retailer, importer or decorator, and it may or may not affect the value of the piece. Under-glaze marks are clearer and less worn than retailer, importer or decorator marks. By 1891, a change in U.S. customs law required country of origin to be marked on porcelain -- so a piece that says "France" dates from after that time and was made for export. Internal sales did not require the "France" mark. The second half of the 19th century was the golden age of Limoges porcelain. The factories were on the cutting edge of technical expertise that allowed them to secure their reputation for around fifty years. The managers of these factories asserted their personalities and tastes, and regularly called on the expertise of famous artists who came, for the most part, from Paris. In addition, the Universal Expositions proved to be advantageous for them, allowing them to gain quick and widespread notoriety. Bibliography : C. Meslin-Perrier, Limoges, deux siecles de porcelaine, Paris, ed. de l'Amateur, 2002.