Limoges for Twelve

Q:  I inherited a set of Limoges dishes for 12 which my family used for special occasions in the 1950s. The set includes dinner plates, cups and saucers, butter plates and salad plates, all in perfect condition. They are marked “A. Giraud & Brousseau, Limoges, Specially for Mayhew, New York, Made in France,” “Limoges, France,” and signed “Francoise Adnet.” Can you tell me more about these dishes and your estimate of the current value?

A:  Andre Giraud and Brousseau (his first name is unknown) bought a porcelain factory near Limoges, France, in 1935. They worked together until 1967, when Brousseau died. Giraud continued in business as A. Giraud & Cie until 1979. Mayhew was probably the store these dishes were made for. The pattern is called Black Coral. It was designed by Francoise Adnet (1924–2014). She started out as a professional pianist but gave up a career in music for painting by 1951. Large sets of dishes are hard to sell, but a design by a well-known artist might add to the value. If the set is complete, with no missing or chipped pieces, it might sell at an auction. You can also try a matching service like Replacements.com. Remember, you will only get a percentage of the selling price and you have to pack and ship them to the seller, pay for insurance and perhaps storage and other charges.