A Brief History of French Porcelain

Category: French History

This episode features our frequent and very popular guest Elyse Rivin. If you enjoy her episodes, please consider supporting her on Patreon.

Porcelain is one of those things that we all take for granted. Some of us are collectors, but most of us (Annie Sargent included!) couldn't tell the difference porcelain and ceramic before this episode. Then you also have "faïence" (earthenware) in its many forms. Some of us have a favorite cup, some of us keep precious pieces handed down from loved ones.

On today's episode Elyse Rivin shares a primer on French porcelain. She tells us how a French man broke Chinese secrets and how French manufactures finally started making fine porcelain. And there is no doubt that French Kings favored cities like Sèvres and Limoges that made gorgeous pieces for the royal table.

Do you like to adorn your table with gorgeous pieces? Of all the things you might want to buy while in France, porcelain is not the easiest to transport, but it is definitely made in France (unlike many of the tourist trinkets you'll find everywhere). In the show notes you'll see a list of all the places in France where you can buy these porcelain products at the source.

Grab a cup of tea in your favorite fancy china and let's learn about the history of French porcelain!