Featured Large porcelain bowl - unmarked WWII Limoges?

Hi all! Bought this jolly bowl today, as a (very inexpensive) learning piece. It caught my eye because of the pretty colour palette and nice size. It's hand painted, but I wouldn't say highest quality. Heavier than I expected, but then it is one of the largest porcelain pieces I've had so not sure the thickness they use to fabricate larger wares.

The thing that intrigued me was the lady telling me it was unmarked Limoges from WWII - "The Germans were taking everything valuable so they stopped marking some Limoges to stop it being stolen".

Well. I am quite used to apocryphal stories from sellers looking to offload thier wares, but that was a new one for me! I think she believed it herself (possibly was told that when she bought it) but I haven't been been able to find any such thing searching online. Thought I would ask the experts here for your take!

And also, if not Limoges, what kind of origin / age would you say is likely for this bowl? It is unmarked except for two strokes on the underside, but not sure if this is a mark or not. I am certainly no porcelain expert so really don't know what I'm looking at.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

PS - edited to mention I bought this in France, 1.5hrs south of Limoges

 

Regardless, GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Oh great! Thank you - I'm glad someone else likes it too...my husband gave me the old raised eyebrows ... not his cup of tea lol

 

MEN!!!!!

 

poor guy has the patience of a saint ... here's my photography pile atm...perhaps this is more the issue than the attractiveness of the bowl

 

Amazing ceramic trove Kylie-do you have a safe nook where you store it ?
PS-Do you ever sell any of your lesser-loved pieces ?

 

Oh gosh @bosko69 it's all for sale theoretically I am always buying, often selling, and seldom listing.

I only keep the beauties that are too damaged for the market, kind of like adopting 'unadoptable' stray cats...I love them all though. Even if I can't physically keep everything I take a lot of joy in saving them from the decheterie

And as for a nook - that is just the overflow pile from my heaving armoire which is now too full to put anything else in it! (Can my whole house count as a nook??)

I am working through it though!

 

Same thing w/ me & my wife,although every now & then I do bring a piece home,her eyes sparkle and she says-'That's not for sale !'. Those are my most fun scores.
PS-Quick question,how do you 'sell' & 'seldom list' ? I'd love to find a way to monetize my pile without having to resort to Ebay or any other online gimcrackery !
PSS-"(Can my whole house count as a nook??)"-Yes,just as long as neither of you trips,falls,and ends up with a 10K medical bill....and a mountain of broken crockery.

 

"Can my whole house count as a nook??" Why of course it can ! you are amongst kindred spirits on here.

 

I sell on Etsy but have regulars who I suggest things to, at preferential prices of course. My next big project is setting up a website. I don't think you can get by without some online marketplace arrangement anymore, it's just how most people shop.

So the listing is a necessary evil for me! I actually don't mind doing it but I'm waaaaay too slow, document everything and do a write up on each piece...not sure anyone reads them but it keeps me entertained

I did a big push on listings when I first started and I've just managed to keep up with sales to keep my store at about 220 items. I periodically clear out my stock that I have doubts about or that doesn't seem to attract attention online for whatever reason. But I don't run sales, I get rid of it cheap on FB marketplace, I now have a good contact who comes every 4 months or so to collect my clear outs for around what I paid for them. Great for me and for her, she sells locally in a shop and also on Vinted.

But I can tell you that Vinted is by far the easiest to list things on if thats any help? Only takes a few minutes per item, too easy.

Sorry I can't give you a magic solution to avoid the Internet - it is a necessary tool for sellers, difficult to avoid!

 

Lol I know @johnnycb09 kindred spirits for sure! All our full and fascinating houses

 

I buy my share online too ! One of my pins frm the 1939 NY World's Fair sums it up-
.....that was just a year after the Martians invaded New Jersey.

 

Just hoping to boost this thread to any Limoges aficionados out there - does anyone know anyone who might be interested to comment on the "Limoges sometimes unmarked during WWII" issue and/or the likely provenance of this bowl??

We have had some great comments but slightly tangential to the main issue If anyone could tag anyone who might have an opinion, or possibly refer me to another place I could ask I would be very grateful!! Still very stuck on this piece

Tagging anyone who has looked and liked / commented -
@johnnycb09 @Aquitaine @Any Jewelry @bercrystal @bosko69 @Bakersgma

Thank you !

 

Antiquers!

@say_it_slowly , @Ownedbybear .

 

JMHO I do not see Limoges. I see Austria or Germany.

 

I think the French had more important things to do during WWII than make dishes and worry that the Germans would take them.

 

Overhere the Germans generally stole jewellery and other precious metal items, expensive clothing, even books and historic looking documents. Those thieves were the individual soldiers, who did most of the stealing.

They would also confiscate bronze and other metals for the weapons industry.

They would only steal other items in organized looting in evacuated areas, like Arnhem. There they came with trucks marked "Presents from Holland!", on which they loaded furniture and other household goods to be sent as "presents" to German households.
I can imagine the odd porcelain item would end up in such a truck, but I can't think why a porcelain industry would take that into account.

 

I'm sure it wasn't top of mind for most people but I guess for the porcelain manufacturers it might have been a bigger deal. The war stories of ordinary people are full of small acts of resistance or obstruction. People not on the front lines looked for small ways to make life difficult for the occupiers.

Doesn't mean it's true though!

Interestingly today I did see a bowl marked Limogrs with the same 2 stroke marks, almost looked like 2 Js next to eachother. I didn't buy the bowl because it was expensive and damaged but the edge molding, weight and painting style were all very similar.

 

Thank you for that bercrystal ! Would you happen to know if it's common to find unmarked pieces from that region? I guess I was wondering if it was unmarked because recent Chinese or some such, rather than European.

And do you think mid 20th century?

Thank you again

 

JMHO - I collect Limoges and my first rule is that a piece is not Limoges unless it's marked Limoges. Unmarked Limoges would be very rare. Regardless, your bowl looks more German or Austrian to me than French judging by the mold work and the decoration. I'd date it between WWI and WWII.

Since it's a learning piece I will share my experience with bowls. Most dealers in my area (Midwest, USA) are avoiding bowls. The exceptions are Limoges, some English manufacturers and USA manufacturers, and possibly Noritake. The best selling bowls are serving pieces from established dinnerware lines. Decorative bowls (with the exception of RS Prussia) that are not part of an established dinnerware lines are difficult to sell. That includes most unmarked bowls and Austrian and German bowls among others.

There are exceptions, of course. Decorative bowls that can stand on their exceptional artistic merits will often find a buyer. But today's minimalist decorating trends don't allow much room for most decorative bowls. I don't mean to disrespect your bowl. It's quite lovely, it's just not on trend at the moment.