Chic Limoges Coffee Service for Twelve by Jean Pouyat Circa 1930

This chic coffee service for twelve in hard-paste porcelain was made by the Jean Pouyat manufacture in Limoges and dates to circa 1930. The suite comprises a tall ovoid coffee pot with domed lid and knop finial, a sugar bowl with twin scroll handles, a cream jug, and twelve conical cups with matching saucers. The luminous ivory glaze is hand-decorated with a delicate diamond lattice in fine gilt lines and finished with burnished gold rims and richly gilded handles. The underside carries the red JP France mark along with a hand-decorated notation. Condition is very good overall, with light wear to the gilding in places and no visible chips or cracks; the sugar bowl is missing its lid.

Limoges porcelain rose to prominence after the discovery of kaolin near Saint-Yrieix in the late 18th century, and the Pouyat family became renowned in the 19th century for producing especially fine quality porcelain. By the turn of the century, Jean Pouyat ranked among the most important Limoges makers, both industrially and artistically. The hand application of the gold lattice and rims required skilled brushwork and careful firing, hallmarks of Pouyat’s craftsmanship.

This refined set brings quiet glamour to a dining room sideboard, a mirrored bar cart, or open kitchen shelving. Use it for after-dinner coffee, where the warm gold plays beautifully against candlelight, crystal, and silver, or mix the cups and saucers with plain white porcelain to add a subtle patterned note to a contemporary table. Its classic palette and graceful profiles suit both traditional rooms and pared-back interiors seeking a touch of heritage.