Posted 7 years ago
lisawaldron
(2 items)
Hi,
Here is what I know. This is part of a large but incomplete set of dinnerware that belonged to my late grandmother-in-law. It was likely her wedding china and she was married sometime in the late 1920's. At one time I sent photos to Mary Frank Gaston (early digital and poor quality) and she said she'd never seen it and was going to include it in her book. That was more than 20 years ago. I used to use it for special occasions, as I had many large serving pieces, even though a number of the plates were chipped. My mother-in-law used to say that the chips happened as the 'ladies were washing and drying after a few glasses of wine'. During a move in 2002, a carefully packed box tumbled down after a friend who was helping us move pulled out an item from the bottom and we lost a few serving pieces. I then put them away forever. We lost my MIL a year ago and gained her Theodore Haviland Limoges 319 Pink Dropped Rose Wreath set. So we have a bunch of Limoges China, plus many, many other Limoges, Lenox, Wedgewood and other pieces. They just sit in a china cabinet and side board, in our empty MIL apartment waiting for their bi-weekly dusting. I wish my sons were interested in them. Maybe if they knew what they were? But I do not know what to tell them. I would appreciate any help anyone could offer!
Gimbel Brothers is Gimbel's Department store. They were the retailer. Limoges made sets like yours for Gimbels and other retailers to sell.
http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/2010/05/gimbel-brothers-new-york-city-new-york.html
Thanks! I knew that part...I knew about Gimbels from Miracle on 34th Street ;-). Do you know anything about the pattern or marking? I have seen patterns stamped with a Gimbels logo, not written in cursive like this. What does the Comte d'Artois mean? Any idea what year this might have been?
Count of Artois (in French, comte d'Artois).
This may be the case with your particular pattern:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/china-and-dinnerware/limoges
"One group of Limoges pieces that are more particular to Limoges are the blanks that, in the 1800s, were sent to the U.S. to be decorated by members of amateur china-painting guilds. Painters in these guilds would typically follow the instruction manuals and patterns that came with the unfinished plates and vases. These pieces are not especially collectible today, but many are lovely, which means a handsome collection can be put together rather inexpensively."