Pair of Coffee Cups – Manufacture Frères Plainemaison – Limoges, c. 1885–1900

Elegant pair of Limoges porcelain coffee cups, made by the Frères Plainemaison manufactory around 1885–1900.

Made of white glazed porcelain, the two cups feature delicate polychrome floral decoration, entirely hand-painted, composed of flowering branches in shades of pink, red, and olive green. The flowers, freely arranged across the pieces, reflect the late 19th-century taste for more natural and asymmetrical compositions.

The cups are distinguished by their slightly flared shape, moulded pedestal foot, and pierced handles enhanced with gold, while the saucers feature a lively, scalloped outline.

The set perfectly illustrates the aesthetic transition taking place at the end of the 19th century: the influence of Japonism, the direct observation of nature, and the gradual departure from heavily ornamented Victorian decoration herald the freer floral language of Art Nouveau.

The mark visible on the underside reads “Frères Plainemaison – Limoges – France”. The pieces also bear the commercial inscription “Aux Lions de Faïence, Rue de Rivoli, Paris”, indicating their distribution through a Parisian retail house.

A refined pair representative of Limoges porcelain from the Belle Époque, particularly notable for its hand-painted floral decoration, pierced handles, and elegant polychrome palette.