Ariès tureen by Raymond Loewy, Limoges Bernardaud porcelain, Themis pattern

A magnificent tureen, remarkable for both its highly original shape and its lovely floral decoration. It comes from the Bernardaud company (marked underneath), a porcelain manufacturer in Limoges since 1863. You can find the history of this still-existing company on their website; it's fascinating. This company often commissioned renowned designers for its shapes and decorations. And indeed, the shape of this service, called Ariès, and therefore of this tureen, was created in the 1970s by Raymond Loewy (1893-1986), a famous designer known particularly for the logos he created (Lu, Shell, New Man, etc.) and for designing several Studebaker car models and, closer to home, for the iconic "La Coquelle" casserole dish for Le Creuset. This tureen features a design perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the 1970s, reflecting the aesthetics of the Space Age. As for the design, called Thémis, it is magnificent and exquisitely delicate: pretty flowers in shades of blue and green, created by the Bernardaud design studio between 1973 and 1975. Both pieces bear the number 75, printed very small; this is the number of the worker responsible for each piece. This tureen is in very good condition, with no cracks or chips, just a tiny chip on the upper circular edge of the lid, almost invisible, and a micro-stain on the inner rim of the tureen. This tureen measures 29 cm wide from handle to handle, 25 cm in diameter, 10 cm high (for the bowl) and 15 cm high with the lid. I am also offering a salad bowl from the same collection.