The remarkable industrial and artistic history of Bernardaud began in 1863 in the Limousine region of France. The province, located southwest of Paris, possessed three elements critical for the fabrication of fine porcelain: kaolin, fresh water source and forests.

 Bernardaud perpetuates and diversifies traditional skills and techniques in the fabrication of porcelain and thus preserves a valuable component of the cultural heritage of France. The company continually reinvents the art, craftsmanship and fabrication of porcelain.

Quality is integral to the culture, aspirations and mission of the brand. Bernardaud imposes exacting standards and commitment at every step of a lengthy manufacturing process, for each fine porcelain object is the work of many skilled professionals. Every artisan - from the modeler to the colorist, finisher or transfer decora ...

Acquired by Bernardaud in 1986, the Ancienne Manufacture Royale (AMR) is part of French history. In 1774, Louis XVI placed the AMR under the protection of his brother, the Comte d'Artois, who would later become Charles X. In 1784, AMR became part of the Manufacture de Sèvres,

The Bernardaud Foundation also aims to educate the public and dispel preconceived notions about porcelain by conducting interactive guided tours of its workshops.  This is an opportunity for visitors to see how porcelain is made.  

The Chinese began making hard-paste porcelain with kaolin during the Tang Dynasty (8th-9th centuries AD). When Marco Polo traveled in China in the 13th century, he noticed a delicate, transparent type of ceramic unknown in the West. He called it porcellana after a white shell by the same name.

PRIMARY MATERIALS OF THE CASTING:

Composition of the porcelain paste; different methods of utilization; creation of the mould.

FROM CALIBRATING TO GLAZING:

Techniques are used in function of the object being created; positioning of handles; the first firing at 1760 degrees Fahrenheit; glazing by hand.

FROM SECOND FIRING TO INSPECTION

The significance of the second firing which reveals the quality of the porcelain: each piece is inspected before next phase of production.

FROM INSPECTION TO QUALITY APPROVAL:

The various types of decoration; incrustation (the ultimate tier of porcelain products); the sand-polishing of gold; quality verification of each piece before its factory release.