Enamels of Longwy
Meurthe-et-Moselle, Grand Est
Since the late 18th century, Longwy has been a hub for the production of porcelain and enamel called the Émaux de Longwy. The activity, identified by the emblematic Sèvres Blue colour, played an important part in the town’s history. It continues in Longwy to this day, taking the reputation of this unique craftsmanship to the four corners of the world.
© Ville de Longwy - Service de communication
It takes more than 50 hours of work to make this little owl, decorated with white and pink apple blossoms on a cerulean blue background. This decoration is the oldest decoration of the Manufacture des Émaux de Longwy 1798. With a sure hand, the enameller with a fine stick carries out a retouching operation called ironing. In Longwy, the capital of the Haut Lorrain region, this know-how of enamelling with black lines on earthenware is a 222 year old story. It began in 1798 when the Boch family founded the first earthenware factory in a former convent. Alongside them, several other earthenware factories and workshops, some of which have been awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label, perpetuate the traditional know-how of enamels in Longwy: such as Émaux d'Art de Longwy, founded in 1988 by Christian Leclercq, Meilleur ouvrier de France, or Émaux de Longwy Saint-Jean l'Aigle, founded in 1977, the last factory to have a wood-fired kiln for firing 2-metre-high vessels. For more than a century, Longwy has been pursuing this activity between tradition and innovation, continuing to carry the reputation of this unique craft to the four corners of the world.