…and before we considered ‘good dishes’ something to request preceding weddings, and to use annually for holidays, there was a wonderful art form that was part of everyday life.
From antiquity, the art of ceramics and glazed pottery elevated the everyday and made the form as interesting as the function. To celebrate the history of what man has done with earth, a museum in Limoges is dedicated to its manifestations. Named for a famous local arts patron who collected samples of every era and every culture’s contribution to the art, the Musée National Adrien Dubouche Limoges certainly belongs here. Limoges is the town that brought porcelain to a new level in France. The first works were produced in 1771 and the heights of production were reached in the late 19th century, when up to 10,000 people were employed in the industry.
Naturally, Limoges china was representative of each era in which it was produced, so not all of it is currently pleasing to our tastes. But it is all masterful. The museum also contains an enormous collection of ceramics and porcelain through the ages – even a plate by Picasso. (My favorite being the one on the top, of course. Nice to know the folks in France were thinking of those savages of Hudson Bay many years ago.)
Makes you want to rethink what your food sits on every day…
A word about Friday. It was a great catch-up day. We did the laundry, went grocery shopping, got the car washed and gassed up, and went home to pack up. Felt like we were in the suburbs of anywhere, USA?
After strolling around Limoges today, we drove to our new home in the Loire Valley, and we expect to be up to our ears in castles this week.
In the meanwhile, admire this gorgeous cottage we will call home this week.
The Digs look marvellous.
There’s nothing like a rose-covered cottage…