Haviland china is an American collectible because the company was founded and is still run by an American family, even though the production facilities are in France. David Haviland, a New York china dealer, decided to start his own factory in the mid-Nineteenth Century. He selected the Limoges area of France for the factory’s location in order to take advantage of the kaolin deposits and experienced china makers and painters available there. For four generations, the Haviland family has produced fine porcelain dinnerware while implementing improved firing and decorating techniques to keep up with the times.

The Haviland dinnerware production is composed of thousands of patterns, some of which were not documented by the company. In the 1930s, a number scheme was implemented by Arlene Schleiger to help identify the patterns. The original work by Ms. Schleiger was six volumes, and Schleiger numbers are used to this day to identify those patterns which have them. The Haviland patterns include company developed motifs as well as special designs, like family crests, that the company has produced for specific clients.

Haviland china is readily available in the china departments of large department stores, as well as fine gift shops and on the Internet. Prices are reasonable on the secondary market, but the offerings are frequently the odd pieces of a dinner set, like oyster plates or bone plates. These are seldom used and therefore survive better than the pieces of the basic place setting.

Look for Haviland china wherever you find fine china. The pitchers, creamers and chocolate pots are especially nicely formed, and there are odd pieces like dresser trays and toothbrush holders in the production of this company as well.

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