Bernardaud
Limoges porcelain, tableware, vases, sculptures, porcelain jewelry
Philosophy
Four generations serving Limoges porcelain. Bernardaud marries ancestral know-how with contemporary creation, with entirely artisanal manufacturing in Limoges. Porcelain as living art.
History
Léonard Bernardaud entered as an apprentice at Delinieres & Cie, a porcelain workshop in Limoges, in 1863. He was fifteen. He stayed, learned every step - from grinding kaolin to painting on enamel - and eventually bought the business. The Bernardaud name replaced Delinieres. A dynasty began.
Limoges porcelain has existed since the 18th century thanks to a rare geological conjunction: pure kaolin, abundant fresh water, forests for the kilns. Bernardaud built on this tradition but transformed it. Each piece goes through roughly thirty manufacturing steps. The mix is precise: 50% kaolin, 25% quartz, 25% feldspar. Firing reaches 1400°C - giving Limoges hard-paste porcelain its translucency and strength.
Four generations followed. Michel Bernardaud, who leads today, understood something other porcelain makers missed: white porcelain is a blank canvas. He invited Jeff Koons, who approached Bernardaud over a decade ago, impressed by their willingness to "push back the technical limits in the art and science of porcelain-making" (Whitehot Magazine). Limited-edition $21,000 porcelain Balloon Dogs were exhibited at Kanazawa's 21st Century Museum. The Fondation Bernardaud has hosted contemporary ceramics exhibitions for 23 years.
In December 2024, Bernardaud acquired 100% of Haviland, the other great Limoges name, founded in 1842. Two centuries of porcelain under one family roof. Comité Colbert member since 1964, EPV-certified, present in palaces worldwide.
Iconic Products
Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons
The collision between contemporary art and centuries-old craftsmanship. Koons approached Bernardaud over a decade ago to transform his iconic sculptures into Limoges porcelain. $21,000 limited editions, exhibited in Kanazawa. Each piece pushes hard-paste porcelain to its technical limits. The symbol of Bernardaud's strategy: porcelain as a living artistic medium.
Ecume du Temps
Signature tableware service, pure white porcelain with irregular edges, as if sculpted by water and time. The anti-classic service: no gold rim, no repetitive pattern, just raw Limoges porcelain in its most contemporary form. Found on palace and Michelin-starred tables. The piece that sums up Bernardaud's positioning: craftsmanship serving design.
Aux Oiseaux
The historic collection, inherited from the 19th century, reinterpreted by each generation. Birds and branches hand-painted by Limoges decorators. The piece that shows Bernardaud doesn't deny its classic heritage while evolving it. Each plate passes through a painter's hands - not a transfer, not a stamp, a human hand. The price reflects this reality.