Audubon by TIFFANY & Co Limoges Porcelain Vanity Trinket Box Chinoiserie Decor
About the Item
- Creator:Limoges (Manufacturer),Tiffany & Co. (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)Diameter: 3 in (7.62 cm)
- Style:Chinoiserie (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:good.
- Seller Location:North Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is one of the most prominent purveyors of luxury goods in the United States, and has long been an important arbiter of style in the design of diamond engagement rings. A young Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed to his future wife, Eleanor, with a Tiffany ring in 1904. Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Astors and members of the Russian imperial family all wore Tiffany & Co. jewels. And Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis preferred Tiffany china for state dinners at the White House.
Although synonymous with luxury today, the firm started out rather modestly. Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded it in Connecticut as a “stationery and fancy goods emporium” in 1837, at a time when European imports still dominated the nascent American luxury market. In 1853, Charles Tiffany — who in 1845 had launched the company’s famed catalog, the Blue Book, and with it, the firm’s signature robin’s-egg blue, which he chose for the cover — shifted the focus to fine jewelry. In 1868, Tiffany & Co. gained international recognition when it became the first U.S. firm to win an award for excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. From then on, it belonged to the pantheon of American luxury brands.
At the start of the Gilded Age, in 1870, Tiffany & Co. opened its flagship store, described as a "palace of jewels" by the New York Times, at 15 Union Square West in Manhattan. Throughout this period, its designs for silver tableware, ceremonial silver, flatware and jewelry were highly sought-after indicators of status and taste. They also won the firm numerous accolades, including the grand prize for silverware at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Among the firm’s glittering creations from this time are masterworks of Art Nouveau jewelry, such as this delicate aquamarine necklace and this lavish plique-à-jour peridot and gold necklace, both circa 1900.
When Charles Lewis Tiffany died, in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany became the firm’s design director. Under his leadership, the Tiffany silver studio was a de facto design school for apprentice silversmiths, who worked alongside head artisan Edward C. Moore. The firm produced distinctive objects inspired by Japanese art and design, North American plants and flowers, and Native American patterns and crafts, adding aesthetic diversity to Tiffany & Co.’s distinguished repertoire.
Tiffany is also closely associated with diamonds, even lending its name to one particularly rare and exceptional yellow stone. The firm bought the Tiffany diamond in its raw state from the Kimberley mines of South Africa in 1878. Cut to create a 128.54-carat gem with an unprecedented 82 facets, it is one of the most spectacular examples of a yellow diamond in the world. In a broader sense, Tiffany & Co. helped put diamonds on the map in 1886 by introducing the American marketplace to the solitaire diamond design, which is still among the most popular engagement-ring styles. The trademark Tiffany® Setting raises the stone above the band on six prongs, allowing its facets to catch the light. A lovely recent example is this circa-2000 platinum engagement ring. Displaying a different design and aesthetic (but equally chic) is this exquisite diamond and ruby ring from the 1930s.
Limoges
Limoges porcelain has withstood the test of time for centuries. The widely cherished ceramics named for the French city and commune in which they are made are synonymous with sophistication, elegance and refinement. Today, antique Limoges dinnerware, serveware, decorative objects and other porcelain products are coveted and collected all over the world.
The story of Limoges porcelain, which refers to porcelain made in the Limoges region of France — not by a specific factory — begins in 1768. The region is a rich source of kaolin, feldspar and quartz — vital ingredients to the production of this type of pottery.
Porcelain was first made in China and spread all over the world owing to the trade routes to the Far East established by Dutch and Portuguese merchants. Given its origin, English speakers called porcelain “fine china,” an expression you still might hear today. "Fine" indeed — for over a thousand years, it has been a highly sought-after material. Meissen Porcelain (Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen), which was founded in the Electorate of Saxony (now Germany), is one of the preeminent porcelain factories in Europe and was the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia.
Limoges porcelain refers to porcelain produced in and near the city of Limoges — it does not refer to a specific manufacturer — and it’s distinctive for its luminous hue and bright white qualities, providing an ideal canvas for intricately detailed hand-painted decorations. (Revered Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir began his career painting plates in Limoges.)
It wasn’t long before Limoges porcelain captured the attention of King Louis XVI — the region’s first manufactory, established toward the close of the 18th century, was placed under the protection of the King’s brother, the Comte d’Artois. It was later purchased by the King and became Manufacture Royale de Limoges. The facility produced a variety of pieces, including delicate, gold-embellished trinket boxes, ornamental vessels, Rococo-style figurines and elaborate dinnerware service sets.
Following the end of the French Revolution in 1794, Limoges porcelain was no longer restricted, and the commercial porcelain industry ballooned.
By 1819, Limoges had four porcelain factories, and as demand for porcelain grew during the 19th century, the industry expanded in the French city. In 1853, American businessman David Haviland opened the Haviland & Co. factory in Limoges to export porcelain to the United States. The company produced several iconic serveware collections for many American presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes. Bernardaud opened in the early 1860s.
By 1900, Limoges had 35 factories, which employed close to 8,000 workers. In 1925, Limoges porcelain was shown at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts — the design fair in Paris that brought global attention to the Art Deco style — where it garnered international acclaim.
During the 20th century, Limoges factories such as Bernardaud collaborated with a range of notable artists and designers, including Franz Bischoff, Joan Miró, Raymond Loewy, Alexander Calder and Julian Schnabel, to name a few.
Today, authentic Limoges porcelain tableware, vases and objets d’art continue to gain renown with collectors and design lovers all over the world.
Find an extensive collection of antique Limoges porcelain on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: North Hollywood, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Tiffany & Co. Porcelain Lidded Trinket Box Designed for Tauck World FranceBy Tiffany & Co.Located in North Hollywood, CATiffany & Co. porcelain round trinket box. Tiffany & Co. porcelain round map box designed for Tauck World, Made In France. The porcelain lid cover is dec...Category
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Vintage Cobalt Blue Royal Limoges France 22-Karat Gold Trinket BoxBy LimogesLocated in North Hollywood, CAElegant vintage round Limoges 22-karat gold trinket jewelry box. French vintage Limoges trinket box in cobalt royal blue with fine gold decor. Marked...Category
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Vintage Cobalt Blue Royal Limoges France 22-Karat Gold Trinket Boxes SetBy LimogesLocated in North Hollywood, CAElegant vintage round Limoges 22-karat gold trinket jewelry box and e small plates French vintage Limoges porcelain in cobalt royal blue with fine gold decor. Marked on base as “Limoges France" Porcelain Limoges Castel...Category
Mid-20th Century French Louis XVI Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Japanese Porcelain Vintage Trinket Lidded Boxes Set of ThreeLocated in North Hollywood, CAVintage Japanese porcelain vintage trinket boxes with lid, set of 3. Vintage Asian porcelain Japanese trinket boxes with Geishas figures wearing traditional kimonos. Japanese porcelain decorative box, each box with a different design, perfect for storing small items or use them as decorative boxes on a table or shelf. Asian Trinket Box...Category
Vintage 1980s Japanese Chinoiserie Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Royal Limoges Castel France 22-Karat Gold Trinket Round Box in Cobalt BlueBy Castel LimogesLocated in North Hollywood, CAVintage Royal Limoges France 22-Karat Gold Trinket Round Box in Cobalt Blue. Elegant large French vintage round Limoges trinket jewelry porcelain box i...Category
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Jewelry Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Vintage Trinket Metal Box with Porcelain Top Hand Painted Asian SceneLocated in North Hollywood, CAVintage metal and porcelain trinket box with hand painted Asian Japanese scene. Metal silvered with porcelain top hand painted with an outdoor sc...Category
Late 20th Century Japanese Anglo-Japanese Metalwork
MaterialsMetal
- White Porcelain Clam Shell Trinket Box by LimogesBy LimogesLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful white porcelain clam shell trinket box with bronze mounts by Piotet Limoges of France, circa 1970s. This unusual piece is in very good vintage ...Category
20th Century French Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain Peint Main Carousel Trinket Box by LimogesBy LimogesLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful porcelain peint main (hand painted) carousel trinket box by Limoges, circa 1970s. This unusual piece is in very good vintage condition and measure...Category
20th Century French Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Unique Limoges France Hand Painted Bellows Porcelain Trinket BoxBy LimogesLocated in Tustin, CACollectible and very unique, Limoges porcelain miniature trinket box is handmade and hand painted in France and features a very detailed bellows with a hand-painted burning logs scen...Category
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- Beautiful Limoges France Hand Painted Porcelain Fan Trinket BoxBy LimogesLocated in Tustin, CABeautiful Limoges porcelain fan shaped box is handmade and hand painted in rich colors of cobalt blue, iron red and is accented in 24-karat gold. Fan op...Category
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
- French Rococo Style Limoges Porcelain Heart Shaped Trinket BoxBy LimogesLocated in Glasgow, GBLimoges porcelain heart shaped trinket box. Hand-crafted in France around the late 1980’s Finely decorated in the french rococo style; the body of the heart decorated with lapis laz...Category
Late 20th Century French Rococo Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold, Brass
- Porcelain Peint Main Set of Golf Clubs Trinket Box by LimogesBy LimogesLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful porcelain peint main (hand painted) set of golf clubs trinket box by Limoges, circa 1970s. This unusual piece is in very good vintage condition an...Category
20th Century French Decorative Boxes
MaterialsPorcelain
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Sparkling Legacy of Tiffany & Co. Explained, One Jewel at a Time
A gorgeous new book celebrates — and memorializes — the iconic jeweler’s rich heritage.
15 Scintillating Jewelry Watches to Elevate Your Holiday Style
Watchmakers have tucked their movements into all manner of precious baubles, from lapel pins to cocktail rings. The result is dazzling, wearable art that will get you to the party on time.