The Casseaux Porcelain Kiln Museum

The Casseaux museum is home to the Casseaux porcelain kiln, built in 1904. Today, it is a historical and technical site dedicated to Limoges porcelain. This 19th-century industrial building tells the story of the evolution of porcelain-making and the hardships and successes involved in the quest to master fire.
The skills required in porcelain-making include preparing the clay, casting, calibrating, and baking (several times). Special tools, machines, and various utensils are on display in the museum. All of these elements are a reminder of the men and women who worked here, the importance of their skills, and above all, their struggle to master the kiln's flames, constantly striving to perfect their techniques.
The Casseaux Museum is an essential part of the vestiges of Limoges's porcelain saga. It is run by an association, created in the 1980s, by a group of manufacturers who were also history and heritage enthusiasts. It takes visitors on a journey back in time. The impressive 19th-century edifice is built on a historical site. Its architecture is remarkable and it is a true witness to the human and technical achievements involved in the history of the porcelain industry. The presence of old machinery adds to the museum's authentic atmosphere. Its "piece de resistance" is located in the center of the museum: the Casseaux porcelain kiln. The kiln was registered as a Historical Monument in 1987, for its ingenuity and the human symbol it represents. It is France's very last round reversed flame kiln. It was built in 1902 and baked its first porcelain pieces in 1904. It stopped being used in 1957. Its architecture is industrial and it has a capacity of 80 cubic meters. It could contain between 10.000 and 15.000 pieces per batch. The main issue involved in baking porcelain in this kiln was mastering fire: this is not surprising when you consider that each batch took almost a week to bake!