Vintage Porcelain Miniature Mantle Clock 1970s - LA Limoges France No. 947

Please note that all of my Limoges is vintage and pre-loved and therefore may have some minor scratches of scuffing that I haven't noticed. I try to describe my items as accurate as possible.

Below you will find some info about Limoges.

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Miniatures of Limoges Porcelain from France:

(Reference: Collector’s Encyclopedia of Limoges Porcelain by Mary Frank Gaston)

Collectors have always been fascinated by miniatures.

They have been made through the centuries and are to be found in materials like glass, wood, metals and ceramics.

Miniatures are loved, because they represent real life objects and measure only one to three inches, often with exquisite details.

That makes them easy to display in a small cabinet hanging on the wall and they can be displayed in collectable dolls houses.

Most Limoges Miniatures are from the 1950s and later and don’t have an identifiable factory mark.

“Limoges France” is often the only mark, sometimes accompanied by ‘peint a main’ or

‘ rehausse a main’ ( hand painted or embellished by hand).

The word OR in capital letters means GOLD.

"Veritable" means Genuine.

Polychrome Limoges Miniatures:

(Reference: Collector’s Encyclopedia of Limoges Porcelain by Mary Frank Gaston)

Compared to the cobalt blue miniatures, this group of miniatures has polychrome decoration that is a variety of colors.

Collectors are attracted to the miniature plates for several reasons. Size is of course the primary consideration. The second point of interest for collectors is the particular decoration on the plates.  Romantic themes depicting couples in eighteenth century dress are very popular as are portraits of historical figures. Miniature plates decorated with pastoral scenes, religious subjects, specific locations or structures, and designs to commemorate special events are also commonly found.

Many of these colorful decorations were based on the original paintings of famous artists. Sometimes that artist’s name is on the frond of the piece. That ‘signature’ is often incorrectly interpreted as the painter who decorated the porcelain. “Boucher”, “Fragonard”, “Lebrun” and “Watteau”, famous 18^th century artists, are just a few of the names encountered. Copies of their paintings have historically been made into transfers or decals to decorate china. Such decorations continue to be used today.

The polychrome miniatures are also rarely marked with any stamp except “Limoges France” printed in a number of different styles.

It is difficult to pinpoint specific dates or even time periods for the polychrome miniature plates. This type of miniature, however, generally pre-dates de cobalt blue and gold pieces and the Limoges boxes.