History of Haviland Limoges

Background

• David Haviland is credited with introducing Limoges pottery to America. In the late 1830s, Haviland began importing Limoges china to his New York City store. He found that, despite the superior quality of French porcelain, it was not as popular as the English earthenware he had previously imported. Mostly his American customers objected to the style of the decoration. Because Haviland preferred the quality of French china, he decided to take it upon himself to change the decoration to suit American taste.

Move to France

• In 1842, Haviland moved to Limoges and began exporting china to the United States. In 1847, he started custom ordering porcelain blanks from Limoges potteries and decorating them in his own studio for export. Haviland did not begin manufacturing his own porcelain until 1865. He primarily produced dinner sets that were all, once again, designed with American tastes in mind.

Characteristics

• The difference between Haviland and other Limoges potteries is predominantly the decoration. Although the exact recipes are trade secrets, all pottery from the Limoges region is made from the same basic ingredients. Most Haviland &Company china features floral designs in a soft color palette. Haviland produced more dinner services than any other Limoges company. The other potteries mostly specialized in decorative accessories, rather than tableware.

The Haviland Brothers

• The history of Haviland became complicated when the next generation took over. When David died in 1879, sons Charles and Theodore took over the business. In 1892, Theodore left the company and started his own business which he named "Theodore Haviland." Charles continued operating Haviland &Company on his own until his death in 1921. The company went into bankruptcy in 1930. William, Theodore's son, purchased the rights to the old marks and models in 1941. At that time, Theodore Haviland changed the company name to Haviland &Company. In 1957, William retired and turned the company over to his sons. When they retired in 1972, the Cerabati group took over management of the company and changed the name to "Haviland SA."

Marks and Patterns

• Haviland Limoges is well documented and easy to identify. Over the years, the company kept detailed records of the marks it used, which allows the collector to date pieces accurately. Popular patterns include Moss Rose, Old Blackberry and Wedding Ring.