Manufacture de Couleuvre

What Manufacture de Couleuvre does

Manufacture de Couleuvre is a French luxury porcelain manufacturer founded in 1789 in Couleuvre, Allier, and is the only surviving porcelain maker among the six factories that operated in Bourbonnais during the 19th century. The company produces artisanal porcelain using traditional methods including hand casting (coulage), multi-day drying, first firing at 980°C (dégourdi), glazing, and a second firing at 1400°C. Its proprietary 'teinté masse' technique colors porcelain throughout the body, available in over 100 matte or glossy colorways, and decoration is performed via transfer printing (chromo), hand-painting, and application of 24-carat gold, platinum, and silver. The company maintains an archive of 300,000 molds and 6,500 historical models that underpin both heritage reissues and contemporary design.

The product portfolio is organized into collections: Collections Héritage (reissues of archival pieces), Créations contemporaines/Lurcy (minimalist pastel tableware and decorative objects), Écailles de Couleuvre (serpent-themed signature pieces), Les Perles (1930s relief pieces), and Les iconiques (signature designs), plus a Sur-mesure (bespoke) service offering monogrammed and fully custom pieces for individuals and professionals. Standard catalog items range from approximately €50 (small photophores) to €1,600+ (larger decorative pieces such as carafes); bespoke orders carry a 3-5 week lead time and have no minimum order quantity.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer retailer with no wholesale intermediaries. Distribution is through the proprietary e-commerce site (manufacturedecouleuvre.com), which accepts VISA and Mastercard and ships internationally, and through the on-site factory store (magasin d'usine) at Route de Lurcy-Lévis, open Tuesday through Saturday. The company is privately held with €520,000 in declared share capital, has between 11 and 50 employees, and lists Sophie Salager as the responsible publication contact. Marketing channels are limited to organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and the physical factory store; no paid acquisition, no app, and no API integrations are disclosed.

Name

Manufacture de Couleuvre

Legal name

Manufacture de Couleuvre

Website

https://manufacturedecouleuvre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1789

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manufacture de Couleuvre is a privately held French luxury porcelain manufacturer founded in 1789 in Couleuvre, Allier, selling heritage reissues, contemporary tableware, and bespoke porcelain directly to individual consumers and professional clients (hospitality, luxury brands) through its e-commerce site and on-site factory store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Couleuvre

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Porcelain Product Sales: Direct sales of porcelain products including tableware, decorative objects, and art pieces through e-commerce and factory store. One-time purchase model with prices ranging from approximately €50 to €1,600+ per item.
2. Custom/Bespoke Porcelain: Custom porcelain creation services for individuals and professionals, from first sketch to final piece, without minimum order quantity. Lead time of 3-5 weeks for bespoke orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Manufacture de Couleuvre manufactures and sells luxury French porcelain products including tableware, decorative objects, and art pieces, produced using traditional artisanal techniques such as teinté masse coloring and high-relief work. The portfolio spans heritage reissue collections, contemporary collections (Lurcy, Écailles de Couleuvre), the signature Les Perles line, and a bespoke sur-mesure creation service available to both individuals and professionals without minimum order quantity.

Product overview

Manufacture de Couleuvre is a historic French porcelain manufacturer established in 1789, offering a portfolio of heritage and contemporary porcelain collections. The product lineup centers on four main collections: Collections Héritage (reissues of iconic archival pieces), Créations contemporaines/Lurcy (contemporary tableware in pastel hues), Écailles de Couleuvre (serpent-themed decorative objects), and Les Perles (1930s-inspired pieces featuring the house's signature relief and teinté masse techniques). The company also offers a bespoke sur-mesure service enabling personalized creations with over 100 color options and monogram customization. Products span art de vivre (decorative objects), arts de la table (tableware), and iconic signature pieces. The company operates a factory store and e-commerce platform for worldwide distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collections Héritage Heritage collection featuring reissues of iconic archival pieces, motifs drawn from the company's archives, and precious finishes that celebrate the timeless elegance and richness of the French porcelain tradition. Sold as a browsable collection of decorative objects, tableware, and art pieces.
• Créations contemporaines (Collection Lurcy) Contemporary decorative objects and tableware designed for everyday living, presented in a pastel color palette with a minimalist style. Customers can choose from over 100 colors, matte or glossy finishes, and request monogram personalization.
• Écailles de Couleuvre Signature collection of objects adorned with golden serpents, paying homage to the serpent emblem and 18th-century mounted objects tradition, showcasing the house's ornamental savoir-faire.
• Les Perles Iconic 1930s collection originally developed under Albert Laurent's direction, embodying the house's emblematic techniques including teinté masse coloring and high-relief work. Includes photophores, carafes, and soliflores celebrating French porcelain excellence.
• Sur-mesure (Bespoke Porcelain Service) Custom porcelain creation service for individuals and professionals that takes clients from first sketch to final piece, with monogram personalization, over 100 color options, and a 3-5 week production lead time. No minimum order quantity applies.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Le Petit BilletminorOthersWebsite development partner responsible for creating the company's e-commerce platform. Based on mentions in legal notices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hermès: Luxury conglomerate whose tableware and home collections (e.g., 'Voyage en Ikat') target overlapping affluent customers; relevant as a comparable luxury home/tabletop peer and potential collaboration partner.
• Wedgwood: Heritage English fine-bone-china and porcelain brand with tableware, gifting and decorative ranges sold globally — comparable on heritage positioning, gifting/tabletop category, and luxury price points, though at much larger scale.
• Villeroy & Boch: Large European tableware and porcelain incumbent offering broad mass-to-premium lines across tableware, gift and hospitality — overlaps with Manufacture de Couleuvre's tableware categories but at much larger scale and broader distribution.

Direct peers

• Revol: French porcelain manufacturer (since 1788) specializing in professional-grade culinary porcelain for hotels, restaurants and chefs — directly comparable on porcelain manufacturing, B2B hospitality focus, and craft heritage.
• Christofle: French maker of silverware and precious-metal-finished table accessories — comparable on luxury positioning, hand-application of precious metals (silver/gold), and tabletop gifting/decorative category.
• Bernardaud: French porcelain manufacturer based in Limoges with a similar luxury tableware and decorative-object portfolio, comparable direct-to-consumer and B2B hospitality go-to-market, and active designer collaborations (e.g., Jean Cocteau, Kariima). Directly comparable in category, price band, and craft positioning.
• Haviland: Historic French porcelain house (founded 1842) producing fine tableware and bespoke services for hotels, restaurants and embassies — directly overlapping with Manufacture de Couleuvre's tableware and professional/B2B segments.
• Gien: French faïencerie founded in 1821 producing hand-decorated tableware, decorative pieces and bespoke services — comparable artisanal manufacturing, direct-to-consumer and B2B hospitality channels.
• Lalique: French luxury crystal and decorative-object house with similar heritage, premium pricing, direct-to-consumer retail, and gift/collector customer overlap; comparable on artisanal luxury tabletop/decor.
• Royal Limoges: French porcelain manufacturer founded in 1797 with comparable heritage positioning, tableware and decorative-object catalog, and premium pricing; an obvious direct peer on category, geography, and customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manufacture-de-couleuvre
• Instagraminstagram.com/manufacturedecouleuvre/?

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manufacture de Couleuvre