Decorative Plate – Decoration: B. Noël – Manufacture William Guérin – Limoges, Early 20th Century

Large decorative Limoges porcelain plate, produced by the prestigious Manufacture William Guérin & Cie in the early 20th century.

Measuring 27.5 cm in diameter, this collector’s piece features an elegant bleu de four ground, particularly deep and luminous in colour.

The central well is adorned with a large hand-painted bouquet of roses in delicate shades of pink, white and cream, accompanied by foliage. The bouquet is framed by a broad decorative band forming a frieze of geometric and stylised motifs, richly accented with two thick gilt lines that elegantly define the central section. The hand-painted floral decoration is signed “B. Noël”.

The rim, also set against a bleu de four ground, features a sumptuous frieze of rosebuds and botanical motifs entirely rendered in gold, with certain elements displaying delicate raised relief. This raised gilding lends the decoration both visual richness and tactile depth. The composition is completed by fine gilt lines and a delicate dusting of gold, which gradually accentuates the scalloped outline of the plate, creating a subtle graduated effect.

With its richly detailed decoration and refined combination of bleu de four, entirely hand-painted floral motifs and extensive gilding, including raised elements, this piece is intended primarily for display. It is a fine example of early 20th-century decorative Limoges porcelain, reflecting the refined elegance of the Belle Époque.