GUÉRIN & Cie Limoges – 27-Piece Gilt Porcelain Tea Coffee Cherry Blossoms

Splendid tea or coffee service in fine Limoges porcelain, produced by the GUÉRIN & Cie manufactory at the beginning of the 20th century. The bodies, fluted and gracefully shaped, are embellished with handles in the form of flowering branches blossoming into delicate cherry blossoms, reflecting the japonist inspiration that was fashionable in French decorative arts of the period.

The decoration, executed in matte and burnished gold, consists of a regular frieze of stylised flower motifs running along the rims, a gilt filet, and an aristocratic monogram finely applied in gold to each piece. The covers are surmounted by floral finials echoing the vegetal vocabulary of the handles.

This ensemble illustrates the refinement of Belle Époque production, at the crossroads of Japonism and Art Nouveau, and bears witness to the luxurious craftsmanship of the Limoges workshops destined for an elite clientele.

Dimensions
• Coffee pot: H. 19 cm – L. 26 cm – D. 15 cm
• Milk jug: H. 13.2 cm – L. 13.2 cm – D. 10 cm
• Cups (x11): H. 6.4 cm – L. 9.2 cm – D. 6.7 cm
• Saucers (x11): H. 2 cm – D. 13 cm

Mark and attribution
Impressed mark W.G. & C. and green stamp Limoges France – William GUÉRIN & Cie (1903-1932).
Production datable to circa 1905-1910.

Provenance
By descent, Marquise de B.

Condition report
Excellent condition. Fresh gilding, no noticeable wear.


MANUFACTURE WILLIAM GUÉRIN & CIE, LIMOGES

The manufactory was founded in Limoges in 1872 by William GUÉRIN-LÉSÉ (1838-1912), who took over the decoration workshop of Lebon & Cie. By the end of the 19th century, it had become one of the most active porcelain manufactories in Limoges, producing luxury services in white or gilt porcelain, as well as specially commissioned decorated pieces.

In 1903, William GUÉRIN’s sons joined the business, which then adopted the name William GUÉRIN & Cie. In 1911, the firm absorbed the Pouyat manufactory, further consolidating its importance. GUÉRIN’s workshops participated fully in the vogue for Japonist and Art Nouveau decoration, combining great technical refinement with an international taste.


WORKS IN MUSEUMS AND COLLECTIONS
The presence of GUÉRIN porcelain in major French and international institutions confirms the historical and artistic significance of this manufactory:

• MUSÉE D’ORSAY, Paris – La Naissance de Vénus, vase, porcelain painted and gilt, 1880-1890.
• MUSÉE NATIONAL ADRIEN DUBOUCHÉ, Limoges – Death mask of William Guérin, hard-paste porcelain, 1912.
• CHÂTEAU-OBSERVATOIRE ABBADIA, Hendaye – Table service with passionflower motifs, porcelain, 1877-1911, listed as a Historic Monument.
• CATHÉDRALE SAINT-LOUIS, La Rochelle – Two altar vases.
• CHAPELLE SAINT-LUCIE, Azzana – Two altar vases, porcelain with gilt highlights.
• ÉGLISE SAINT-MARTIN, Labatut – Four altar vases, porcelain with gilt highlights, late 19th–early 20th century.
• Limoges, in situ – Porcelain frieze of the Halles (1890); panels of the Hôtel de Ville fountain (1893).
• CASA MUSEU EMA KLABIN, São Paulo (Brazil) – Swallow dish, porcelain in high relief, polychrome and gilt, 1903-1911; Sauce boat, porcelain polychrome with gilt highlights, 1903-1911.
• DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, Dallas (USA) – Dish, polychrome porcelain with gilt highlights, c. 1880; Coffee pot, c. 1880; Service plate, gilt porcelain, c. 1920-1930.
• LÀZARO GALDIANO MUSEUM, Madrid (Spain) – Various porcelain pieces (plates, bowls, cups), 1891-1932.

Pieces by the GUÉRIN manufactory are also found in prestigious private collections, such as the Mead Johnson Collection in London and Palm Beach, and the Zellerbach Collection in San Francisco.


EXHIBITIONS
• An Art Nouveau Ensemble. The Rispal Donation, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 2006-2007.
• Émaux et porcelaines, Four des Casseaux, Limoges, 2022.


SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Chantal Meslin-Perrier (ed.), Chefs-d'œuvre de la porcelaine de Limoges, Paris, Réunion des musées nationaux, 1996.
• Philippe Thiébaut, Olivier Gabet, Emmanuelle Héran, Marie-Madeleine Massé, Un ensemble Art Nouveau: la donation Rispal, exhibition catalogue, Paris, Musée d’Orsay; Flammarion, 2006, cat. no. 114.