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| A word from our President: On behalf of the Rigoulene team and family, I would like to introduce you to the Rigoulene internships' adventure, and the world of Limoges' Porcelain Painting. The project was born when, after ten years spent in the United States, I came back in 1994 to France and more particularly to the Limousin region, in Limoges, where I was born and brought up. Limoges is famous worldwide for it's porcelain. It is near Limoges that, during the 18th Century, kaolin was found: kaolin brought to porcelain the "whiteness" and transparency to light that the Chinese knew of centuries before, and that had been discovered in Saxony at the beginning of the 18th Century by the "alchemist" Bottger. Following the discovery of kaolin, the region enjoyed a golden age. Our family was an active participant in the expansion of the porcelain industry over the following two centuries. Each generation, up to and including ours, has shared in this great adventure! Today through our internships, our ambition is to share with others the art of painting on porcelain, together with the history of Limoges porcelain. The internships take place in an ancient manor, Rigoulene, which has been in our family for over 400 years. The painting teachers are of highest level, and we want our interns to get a feeling for the history of the porcelain industry. Life in Rigoulene is a six day experience, during which we share with our interns our passion, in a refined setting, mixing work and leisure... A French way of life. Laurence Bouchayer - President - "Les Amis de Rigoulene" |
LIMOGES PORCELAIN
Some history…
Limoges is famous worldwide for its porcelain. Let us start with a brief history of
Porcelain
It is near Limoges that during the 18th century Kaolin was found: Kaolin this pure
white calcareous ground brought to porcelain the whiteness and transparency to light
that the Chinese knew of centuries before. In the 13th century, Marco Polo discovers
it during his travel to the Far East. He gives it the name of Porcelain, even though this
is the name of the “mother of pearl” found on seashells. Thereafter plates star
showing up on the tables of Europe, replacing little by little the pieces of bread, on
which meat was laid. They are made of clay and precious metals from India and also
beautiful ceramic from China, brought back by travelers. A need is born.
In the 17th century, the British and the Dutch take over the trade and start their
famous East India Companies. In 1664, under Colbert, France starts its own
“Compagnie Francaise des Indes Orientales”. It imports thousands and thousands of
porcelain pieces from China, most of them table ware that are bought by rich people.
Europe tries to manufacture itself this wonderful ceramic. But however hard he tries,
it fells for lack of the one essential component, the mysterious component: that seems
to only be found in china. If it cannot copy the Chinese Porcelain, Europe will try and
get close with a near porcelain called: Porcelain tendre (soft paste porcelain) made
without Kaolin. It is not a perfect substitute for the Chinese porcelain.
Nevertheless manufacturing takes place all over Europe, in Italy, France (St Cloud,
Chantilly, Vincennes, and the “Manufacture Royale de Sevres” setup on the
instigation of Madame de Pompadour). Search for Kaolin continued all along. It is in
Saxony that it is first found in the early 18th century; the “Electeur de Saxe” setup in
Meissen in a well-guarded mysterious fortress a Royal Manufacture. Both the kaolin
quarries and the manufacturing are jealously kept hidden under threat of death. For
the first time in Europe, China’s secret has been penetrated and of course, Meissen’s
secret eventually seeped out.
In 1766, Kaolin is found near Saint Yriex in Limousin, France; it is the “Eldorado”.
Everybody digs and believes he has struck it rich. Everywhere, people are searching,
digging, sifting, washing… In Limoges, Superintendent Turgot encourages the
manufacturers, for he sees here a source of prosperity for his region known to be pour.
On July 11th 1786, in a place called Marcognac, after a long and careful search,
François Alluaud, the kings geographical engineer (our Ancestor), recently appointed
manager of the floundering “ Conte d’Artois Manufacture”, identified what seemed
to be an abundant and accessible supply of Kaolin. He starts here a new company. It
flourishes; he eventually passes on to his sons and it will stay in his family, our family,
for 200 years. During these years, we have been an active participant in the
expansion of the porcelain industry over the following two centuries.
Some history…
Limoges is famous worldwide for its porcelain. Let us start with a brief history of
Porcelain
It is near Limoges that during the 18th century Kaolin was found: Kaolin this pure
white calcareous ground brought to porcelain the whiteness and transparency to light
that the Chinese knew of centuries before. In the 13th century, Marco Polo discovers
it during his travel to the Far East. He gives it the name of Porcelain, even though this
is the name of the “mother of pearl” found on seashells. Thereafter plates star
showing up on the tables of Europe, replacing little by little the pieces of bread, on
which meat was laid. They are made of clay and precious metals from India and also
beautiful ceramic from China, brought back by travelers. A need is born.
In the 17th century, the British and the Dutch take over the trade and start their
famous East India Companies. In 1664, under Colbert, France starts its own
“Compagnie Francaise des Indes Orientales”. It imports thousands and thousands of
porcelain pieces from China, most of them table ware that are bought by rich people.
Europe tries to manufacture itself this wonderful ceramic. But however hard he tries,
it fells for lack of the one essential component, the mysterious component: that seems
to only be found in china. If it cannot copy the Chinese Porcelain, Europe will try and
get close with a near porcelain called: Porcelain tendre (soft paste porcelain) made
without Kaolin. It is not a perfect substitute for the Chinese porcelain.
Nevertheless manufacturing takes place all over Europe, in Italy, France (St Cloud,
Chantilly, Vincennes, and the “Manufacture Royale de Sevres” setup on the
instigation of Madame de Pompadour). Search for Kaolin continued all along. It is in
Saxony that it is first found in the early 18th century; the “Electeur de Saxe” setup in
Meissen in a well-guarded mysterious fortress a Royal Manufacture. Both the kaolin
quarries and the manufacturing are jealously kept hidden under threat of death. For
the first time in Europe, China’s secret has been penetrated and of course, Meissen’s
secret eventually seeped out.
In 1766, Kaolin is found near Saint Yriex in Limousin, France; it is the “Eldorado”.
Everybody digs and believes he has struck it rich. Everywhere, people are searching,
digging, sifting, washing… In Limoges, Superintendent Turgot encourages the
manufacturers, for he sees here a source of prosperity for his region known to be pour.
On July 11th 1786, in a place called Marcognac, after a long and careful search,
François Alluaud, the kings geographical engineer (our Ancestor), recently appointed
manager of the floundering “ Conte d’Artois Manufacture”, identified what seemed
to be an abundant and accessible supply of Kaolin. He starts here a new company. It
flourishes; he eventually passes on to his sons and it will stay in his family, our family,
for 200 years. During these years, we have been an active participant in the
expansion of the porcelain industry over the following two centuries.
Encyclopedia definition…
porcelain [Ital. porcellana], white, hard, permanent, nonporous pottery
having translucence which is resonant when struck. Porcelain was first
made by the Chinese to withstand the great heat generated in certain
parts of their kilns. The two natural substances used were kaolin, also
known as china clay, a white clay free of impurities that melts only at
very high temperature, and a feldspar mineral called petuntse that forms
a glassy cement, binding the vessel permanently. Although proto-
porcelain wares exist dating from the Shang, by the Eastern Han high
firing glazed ceramic wares had developed into porcelain, and porcelain
manufactured during the T'ang period (618–906) was exported to the
Islamic world where it was highly prized. The ware was refined during
the Sung period (960–1279). During the Yuan period (1280–1368), blue
and white ware was produced by utilizing cobalt blue from the Middle
East. The Ming period (1368–1644) developed this blue and white ware
but used other colors as well. The Ch'ing period (1644–1912) designed
porcelain especially for export often utilizing Western designs. In Europe
porcelain was first commercially produced (1710) in Meissen, Germany.
Most of the European porcelain is soft paste (made from clay and an
artificial compound such as ground glass) and is not as strong as the
Chinese hard-paste porcelain. Important European centers for porcelain
are Bow, Chelsea, Worcester, Staffordshire, Vienna, Meissen, Sèvres,
Limoges, and Rouen.
History, the beginning of Porcelain…
Jingdezhen, under a variety of names, has been central to porcelain
production in China since at least the early Han Dynasty. Earliest
techniques were very primitive, barely above the level of standard
pottery. By the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasty period,
however, techniques and materials had been improved to the point that
Jingdezhen clay was refined into porcelain.
The Sui and Tang Dynasties introduced high-temperature kilns, resulting
in pure, translucent whites, attractive to the eye, as well as a variety of
advanced glazing techniques. These improvements produced smooth,
durable porcelain ware. The resulting product was often referred to as
"false jade".
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