Featured Age of a limoges bowl?

This small porcelain piece is just 4" long. Would it be called a "nut bowl"?

From what I've seen on the web, the mark in red is for a Boston retailer. I haven't been able to find out what years they were in operation. I bought the bowl in an antiques shop in the greater Boston area in the 1990s, so the location fits.

According to a collector's weekly article, the green mark, "Elite L France," was used between 1896-1920. The article says...

"Bawo & Dotter was established in New York City in the 1860s to import porcelain, especially from Limoges, into the USA. In the early 1870s they established The Elite Works in Limoges to decorate porcelain made by other factories. Their production included table china, decorative pieces and trinket boxes. Some of their marks incorporated St. Martial from the seal of the City of Limoges. Porcelain production was interrupted during WWI. Shortly after the war, they bought the William Guerin company (which had purchase the Pouyat company), and the company became Guerin-Pouyat-Elite, apparently continuing use of all three company marks. The company closed in 1932."
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/60554-bawo-dotter-plate-marked-elite-works-eli

Does anyone have thoughts on the decade in which my bowl was probably produced?

 

Very pretty Pat. I hope someone in the know can help you.
I would use it as a mint dish, but that is just a guess.

 

Thanks, Pearls.

 

Mints sound great!!! I would think nuts might/could be abrasive......and to me it just has that '30s to '45s look.....and very pretty!!!! Think I just saw that pattern on Replacements today!!

 

https://www.alexisantiques.com/links/jms.php
Here's some history on the retailer.

 

Mints work for me!

Thanks for the link, Janet.

I've been trying to find a history of the marks that the company used, but so far, nada. I did find a page in a book in google that confirmed that the mark on my bowl is the one that the Jones, McDuffee & Stratton Company used. But I don't know if the mark changed over the years.

 

The Elite dates are pretty narrow--24 years. I'd be happy with that.

 

Good point, though I was thinking of what it said in the quote I posted, that the Elite mark continued to be used until 1932 when the merged company closed.

That's still not a huge spread in dates, so I guess I can just say "late 19th/early 20th century."

 

Cute dish, Pat, nice shape.
If it was only made for the North American market, I would guess mint as well. If it was a French design which was also made for North America, it could originally have been meant as a bonbon dish.

 

Gaston's book on Limoges states that Elite did not start making their own blanks until 1896, the green mark on yours is one used on blanks, and she dates to to after 1900. The company went out of business in 1932

She also has a small section on JMcD & S. She notes that marks from that company appears on wares from France, Germany & Japan, and is believed to be an importer mark. She notes that when a greenware (blank) mark appears, that company, in this case Elite, most likely decorated the piece as well. She dates the red mark on yours from 1890 - 1914.

So if you extrapolate the info on the 2 marks based on her info, your piece most likely was made between 1900 - 1914.

 

Thanks, AJ. Based on what I read, it sounded like it would have been made for the North American market. But it won't hurt for me to say both "mint" and "bon bon" in the descripton.

 

Wow, that's right on for what I needed. Thank you!

It never ceases to amaze me how much knowledge and expertise is available in Antiquers.