A beautiful and unusually large hand-painted Limoges porcelain covered jar, marked on the underside: “Imperial” “peint à la main” “DECOR LIMOGES” The piece is decorated in an elegant turquoise/green colour and richly embellished with gilt decoration. The cylindrical body features two large oval figurative panels depicting romantic Rococo-style 18th-century scenes. One scene shows an elegantly dressed lady with a young musician playing a stringed instrument. The other depicts a charming courtship scene with elegantly dressed figures, a small dog and flowers. The painted scenes are surrounded by elaborate gilt scrollwork, foliage and floral ornament. The upper section has a broad gilt band decorated with fine geometric and botanical motifs, while the lower section features a contrasting dark-green band with striking gilt heart-shaped and floral motifs. The original matching lid is present and features a turquoise domed top with a white porcelain spherical finial. Gilt decoration highlights the edges and borders throughout. The combination of the large size, turquoise ground, extensive gilding and finely painted romantic scenes makes this a particularly attractive decorative example of Limoges porcelain. Mark: Imperial / peint à la main / Décor Limoges Height: approx. 22.5 cm Diameter: approx. 11 cm