Legle French Porcelain

General Detail:

A century of modernity in tradition. Porcelaine LEGLE is a famous Limoges family that has worked for over one century to design and improve manufacturing processes and modernise china production methods and conditions, for the benefit of a certain art de vivre.

For over 50 years, Legle have used their knowledge to develop a range of high melting coloured glazes (fired to over 1100ºC), which are unique in the world.

Each glaze is created at the heart of the company, from its formulation to its production launch. This experience with high melting glazes has made Legle, with a catalogue containing over 25 colours, a market leader in this sector.

The gold and platinum are then matured in the kiln to around 820ºC, in order to fix them to the porcelain. The gold is then polished to give it lustre and shine.

History:

In the late 19th century, the great great grand mother of Frédéric Lebouc, Marie Olympe Brière, has a small workshop that made everyday china objects. In an already modern spirit, she sent her son Frédéric Legrand away to study in England.

Back in Limoges, in 1904, Frédéric Legrand set up a porcelain business. In the 20s, he also operated a porcelain electric part business as porcelain was the best insulating material at the time. Legrand grew to become the largest electric device company in the world. His daughter, Paule, married André Lebouc, an Arts et Métiers engineer, who became the manager of the Legrand company.

After the war, the Legrand company was sold. André Lebouc returned to his first love and in 1949, with his son Hugues, he set up a pilot porcelain plan, which was exemplary both in terms of manufacturing processes and in terms of he widely improved work conditions : the PORAL plant.

« A cutting edge plant designed according to entirely new data », as the papers of the time described it. Inaugurated by high-ranking officials, the PORAL plant was the first plant opened in Limoges after the war, and benefited by original public-private funding

In late 1953, André and Hughes Lebouc remained true to their business philosophy and left PORAL to set up the Porcelaine LEGLE company.
Hughes Lebouc pioneered and developed new processes to improve decoration and also developed simultaneously a tile manufacturing plant, « les Carreaux de Limoges »

From avant-gardism to contemporary, a timeless passion for china.
Today as in Marie Olympe’s workshop, man still seduces matter and colours at Porcelaine LEGLE. Ceramists and enamellers work with the same meticulousness, continuing a prestigious know-how, while using state-of-the-art processes, which are Porcelaine LEGLE’s trademark.

Frédéric LEBOUC, the son of Hughes and the grandson of André Lebouc, took up the torch. He has learned everything at his father’s side, for 20 years, and started managing the company when his father died in 2000.

In line with his illustrious forebears, he has updated the manufacturing chain entirely, designed and launched new collections, still in the spirit of conquering and controlling the sharp fire coloured matter and enamels that make LEGLE famous.

With a passion for the story of his and his family’s company, he can talk forever about working matter, colour and Porcelaine LEGLE’s permanent search for new shapes and processes.
Valuable expertise and a historic flame turned towards the future and appreciated world-wide.