Bernardaud Volubilis
Limoges white porcelain, a floral pattern and a gilded rim.
About Bernardaud Volubilis
Bernardaud Volubilis is porcelain with a floral pattern and gilded rim by Bernardaud of Limoges, the foremost porcelain region of France. Dinner plate 25.5 cm, dessert plate 21.2 cm, soup plate 22 cm, side plate 16.5 cm.
Let your eye travel from the white ground to the flowers, then to the gilded rim
The pleasure of Volubilis lies in the way the floral pattern and the gilded rim answer one another on a ground of Limoges white porcelain. Your butler first turns a single plate to face you, at an angle that lets your gaze move from the white centre to the pattern and then to the rim.
Looking at the white surface first makes it easier to see where the colours of the flowers and the line of gold begin. Tilt the plate slightly and only the gilded rim catches the light, drawing the outline of the porcelain in a fine line.
The Manor holds a 25.5 cm dinner plate, a 21.2 cm dessert plate, a 22 cm soup plate and a 16.5 cm side plate. Even with the same design, the breadth of the surface and the rise of the rim change, so we compare two pieces side by side rather than stacked. You need know nothing of the maker or the region.
Four Limoges sizes held in the Manor's collection
| Maker | Bernardaud, Volubilis |
|---|---|
| Origin | Limoges, the foremost porcelain region of France. |
| Design | Floral pattern with a gilded rim. |
| Dinner plate | 25.5 cm. The broadest surface of the four sizes. |
| Dessert plate | 21.2 cm. The size between the dinner plate and the side plate. |
| Soup plate | 22 cm. Compare its diameter, close to the dessert plate, with the form that curves inward. |
Comparing four sizes in ways that numbers alone cannot show
| Piece | Size | Compare with | What your butler points out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner plate | 25.5 cm | Dessert plate 21.2 cm | The difference in circumference and the area of white |
| Dessert plate | 21.2 cm | Soup plate 22 cm | Different outlines despite similar diameters |
| Soup plate | 22 cm | Dessert plate 21.2 cm | The inward curve and how the flowers appear |
| Side plate | 16.5 cm | Dinner plate 25.5 cm | The largest and smallest side by side, and the margins between |
Even with the same design, the breadth of the surface and the rise of the rim change. We compare pieces side by side, never stacked.
Beside silver, service plates and English porcelain, its character stands out
With the rocaille silver
Set the fine silver pattern of Christofle Marly beside it and the outline drawn by the white porcelain and gilded rim of Volubilis becomes easier to see.
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Beside, not upon, the 30 cm and 34 cm service plates
Place the Okura 30 cm and the Wedgwood 34 cm alongside and compare their size and colour with the 25.5 cm dinner plate.
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Alongside the English pieces
Set beside the cups, pots and plates of three English porcelain makers, and see the unity the four Limoges sizes create.
Read moreComparing the four sizes from largest to smallest, and by closeness of form
View the whole in the cabinet
Before the doors are opened, see how the four sizes sit within the collection.
Set dinner and side plates apart
Place the 25.5 cm and 16.5 cm at a distance and compare the largest and smallest circumference and margin.
Compare dessert and soup plates
See from the side and at an angle how 21.2 cm and 22 cm, so close in diameter, differ in form.
Follow the flowers
Let your eye move from the white centre to the rim and trace the flow of the pattern.
Bring light to the gilding
Your butler turns the plate to show the angle at which light appears on the rim.
Guests who will enjoy this
- Those seeing Limoges porcelain for the first time
- Those who wish to see the floral pattern and gilded rim up close
- Those who wish to compare the four sizes in person
- Those who wish to compare them with silver and service plates
- Those who wish to contemplate a single plate quietly, alone
What we ask you to refrain from
- Opening the cabinet without first asking your butler
- Lifting pieces while they are stacked
- Rubbing the gilded rim or floral pattern hard
- Passing a piece with one hand
- Taking pieces outside the Manor
QCan I enjoy it without knowing much about Limoges porcelain?
Yes. Your butler will briefly explain the maker, the origin, the floral pattern and the gilded rim at the outset. After that, compare the four sizes and see for yourself which margins and which light draw you.
QMay I see all four sizes?
The Manor's collection comprises a 25.5 cm dinner plate, a 21.2 cm dessert plate, a 22 cm soup plate and a 16.5 cm side plate. On the day, we show them safely, from largest to smallest or by closeness of form.
QMay I hold the porcelain?
Yes, under your butler's guidance. We first show you where to support the piece with both hands, and stay close by as you hold it.
QWill you guide me if I come alone?
We are glad to. You may contemplate the flowers and gilding of a single plate in quiet, with time to consider how it pairs with the silver.
QHow many may view it together?
Up to six guests. Your butler arranges where each stands and the order in which pieces are handled to suit your number.
QMay a female butler guide me through the porcelain?
Queen's Butler has both male and female butlers. Please tell us when booking, together with whether you wish to compare the floral pattern or the four sizes.
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Come and touch the white porcelain.
Under your butler's guidance, the porcelain may be held in your own hands.