About Haviland
Why so many Americans inherited Haviland
Haviland is unusual among fine porcelain manufacturers because it was founded by an American — David Haviland, a New York importer who moved to Limoges in 1842 to produce porcelain specifically for the American market. The result was French-made china designed for American tastes, and it was enormously successful. From the 1880s through the 1960s, Haviland was a staple of American wedding registries, fine dining, and household aspiration. That is why so many families have a set today.
Key periods of production
Nineteenth-century Haviland, particularly hand-decorated pieces from the 1860s through the 1890s, tends to be the most collectible. These pieces often feature elaborate floral painting, rich gilding, and distinctive shapes that reflect the aesthetic of the period. Early twentieth-century production (1900–1930) includes many desirable Art Nouveau and Art Deco-influenced patterns. Mid-century production from the 1940s through the 1960s was high-quality but manufactured in larger quantities, making these patterns more widely available and generally less valuable on the secondary market.
The Schleiger numbering system
Arlene Schleiger spent decades cataloguing Haviland patterns, documenting hundreds of distinct designs within a numbering system encompassing thousands of variations. The Schleiger number is the standard way collectors and dealers identify Haviland patterns. If you can find your pattern's Schleiger number, it becomes much easier to research comparable sales and determine current market value. A specialist can often identify the Schleiger number from a clear overhead photograph of the pattern.
The Haviland family of companies
One of the most confusing aspects of Haviland china is that several different companies used the Haviland name. The original company, Haviland & Co., was founded by David Haviland in 1842. His son Theodore established Theodore Haviland in 1893, which operated as a separate company also in Limoges. Charles Field Haviland was a separate branch of the family with its own production. All three are genuine Limoges porcelain and can be valuable. Johann Haviland, however, is a Bavarian company — not Limoges — and carries a different market profile entirely. The mark on the bottom of your pieces will tell a specialist exactly which company made your set.