Limoges rediscovered: medieval enamels and revived provenances at Aguttes

Grégoire de Thoury, director of the Furniture & Works of Art department at Aguttes, was a guest on BFM Patrimoine’s program “Le Coffre-fort” on August 26.

Watch the interview

Limoges Enamels: A Medieval Bookplate Sells for €100,000 at Aguttes

Made in Limoges in the late 12th or very early 13th century, this gilded copper plate with champlevé enamel depicts a Crucifixion against a lapis blue background studded with polychrome rosettes, characteristic of the great tradition of Limoges Gospel book covers. The object was later transformed into a tabernacle door.

It was a seemingly insignificant detail, a keyhole cut into the Virgin’s robe, that enabled Aguttes expert Grégoire de Thoury, director of the Furniture & Works of Art department, to identify the piece in historical records and trace its provenance, which had been forgotten for nearly a century. This rediscovery, combined with the rarity and exceptional quality of the enamel, explains why the final hammer price doubled the estimate.

Émaux de Limoges : une plaque de reliure médiévale s'envole à 100 000 € chez Aguttes

Réalisée à Limoges à la fin du XIIᵉ ou au tout début du XIIIᵉ siècle, cette plaque en cuivre doré et émail champlevé représente une Crucifixion sur un fond bleu lapis semé de rosaces polychromes, caractéristique de la grande tradition des couvertures d'évangéliaires limousines. L’objet fut ensuite transformé en porte de tabernacle. 

C'est un détail en apparence anodin, un trou de serrure percé dans la robe de la Vierge, qui a permis à l'expert d'Aguttes Grégoire de Thoury, directeur du département Mobilier & Objets d'art, d'identifier la pièce dans une documentation ancienne et de lui restituer une provenance oubliée depuis près d'un siècle. Cette redécouverte, associée à la rareté et à la qualité exceptionnelle de l'émail, explique le doublement de l'estimation au marteau. 

Why do Limoges enamels fetch such high prices?

Limoges champlevé enamel is one of the great traditions of medieval European goldsmithing. Produced in large quantities during the 12th and 13th centuries in workshops in the Limousin region, it led to the widespread distribution throughout Europe of liturgical objects (such as crosses, reliquaries, episcopal croziers, bookplate covers, pyxes) featuring a characteristic deep blue background enhanced by gilded motifs and colorful rosettes.

In the art market, the value of Limoges enamels depends on several factors: the quality and condition of the enamel, the rarity of the subject matter, the precise dating of the object, and, above all, its provenance. An object whose history can be traced back to a major historic collection, a museum, or a historic auction sees its value rise significantly.

Treasures still in families: The importance of expertise

This type of medieval object has been circulating for centuries among private collections, inheritances, and family hand-downs. Many pieces of medieval Limousin art, sometimes forgotten in a home, an estate, or an attic, have never been identified, appraised, or authenticated at their true value. A cross, a plaque, a crosier, or a pyx made of champlevé enamel may seem modest at first glance but, upon expert examination, may turn out to be a major work of medieval goldsmithing.

Get a free appraisal of your Limoges enamel

That is why a free appraisal and evaluation are essential before any sale, or even if you’re simply curious about an antique object: only through this process can we authenticate the period and workshop and, when possible, trace the provenance of the piece.

Would you like to know the value of a Limoges enamel piece?
Our experts travel throughout France and all of Europe, in collaboration with our regional offices, to conduct appraisals and evaluations of your items. For an initial assessment, we recommend submitting photographs and any other available documentation related to the item via the online appraisal request form.

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