MAGNIFICENT c1896 B&D BAWO & DOTTER ELITE LIMOGES 14" TUREEN CENTERPIECE, BWD611

Description

Maker
: On the reverse of this superb tureen with its lid and underplate is the backstamp of Elite Works, also known as Bawo & Dotter, one of the great Limoges firms at the turn of the last century.
Age
: According to the third edition of the
Collector's Encyclopedia of Limoges Porcelain
by Mary Frank Gaston
,
this green Elite Limoges France white ware backstamp number 4 was in use from 1896 to 1900, making this tureen at least 121 years old and perhaps older.
The red retailer's mark of Higgins & Seiter, a high-end New York store that closed in 1915, also appears.
Design
: The tureen is beautifully hand painted in keeping with the exceptionally high quality that made the company's porcelain so famous and so coveted. It's in the delightful pattern that replacements.com calls BWD611, with delicate green flowers, gold leaves and gold scrollwork. Richly gold-accented raised leaves and vines and elaborately sculpted gold handles add to the impact.
Size
: The base is about 13 inches long, 7 5/8 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches tall without the lid. The underplate is 14 1/4 inches long, 10 inches wide and 1 3/4 inches tall. Together the 3 pieces weigh 4 pounds 4 ounces.
Condition
: The base and lid are in excellent condition with no marks, nicks, chips, cracks, scratches, stains or repairs. There is a tiny chip on the underside edge of the underplate - it's shown in the photo with the penny - and wear to the underplate's center design.
Please check all the photos very carefully - they are an important part of the description.
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