Antique Limoges plate, hand-painted original: circa 1896-1914. Elite Works For Sale

1. The Production Date (1896–1914)The back of this plate features two distinct stamps that tell us exactly when the blank porcelain was made and when it was decorated:

• The Green "ELITE / L / FRANCE" Mark: This is the factory underline production mark used by the Elite Works foundry to stamp unpainted white porcelain blanks between 1896 and 1900.
• The Red/Orange "Hand Painted" Shield Mark: This is the decorating studio backstamp added over the glaze after the painting was completed. Elite Works used this specific shield design between 1896 and 1914.

Because both marks overlap at the turn of the century, the plate was manufactured and painted right between 1896 and 1900.2. Physical ClassificationThe ruler photo shows the plate measures exactly 9.25 inches (approx. 23.5 cm) in diameter. In antique Limoges dining sets, a scalloped piece of this size is classified as a Luncheon Plate or a Cabinet/Display Plate, rather than a larger dinner plate or a smaller bread plate.3. Verification of StyleThe close-up image of the front highlights why it lacks a standard catalog pattern name. Notice the highly dimensional, hand-applied brushstrokes on the rose petals, the soft gradient backgrounds, and the distinct thorny stems. The gold trim around the scalloped rim was applied using a "sponge" or "acid-etched" distress technique popular with turn-of-the-century porcelain artists.Because it was uniquely hand-painted onto an Elite Works porcelain blank around 1898, it remains a one-of-a-kind antique art piece rather than a numbered factory pattern.