Porcelaine de Paris

Paris Porcelain (Late 18th – 19th Century)

The terms “Paris Porcelain” or “Vieux Paris” refer to the hard-paste porcelain produced and decorated in Parisian manufactories and workshops from the late 18th century through the second half of the 19th century. Its rise followed the 1768 discovery of a kaolin deposit at Saint-Yrieix, near Limoges, which made the manufacture of hard-paste porcelain possible in France. Often placed under the patronage of members of the royal family, manufactories such as Dihl et Guérhard, Nast, or Darte frères attained an exceptional level of craftsmanship. During the Empire and Restoration periods, Paris porcelain reached its zenith, characterized by antique-inspired forms, rich ground colors, exquisite painting, and sumptuous gilding, both burnished and matte. Many blank pieces were produced in Limoges or the outskirts of Paris, before being decorated in the Parisian workshops that forged the reputation of this style. With its lustrous, milky-white glaze, often heightened with gold and sometimes complemented by bronze mounts, Paris porcelain remains highly prized today by connoisseurs of fine tableware and decorative objects.