Porcelain mug is worth little

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Dear Helaine and Joe:I was wondering if you could provide any information on this mug. It is 5 inches tall, and I would like to know where it was made, how old it is and its value.Thank you,F.E.K., ChicagoDear F.E.K.:The simple mark on the bottom -- the initials "J.P." over an "L." with the word "France" underneath -- tells most of the story of this hand-painted mug. However, the rest of the story is told by a mark that is not there.The "L." refers to Limoges, a city in central France. Deposits of the materials necessary for making porcelain were found near there in 1768. A doctor's wife found a deposit of white earth near the village of St. Yrieix and it turned out to be kaolin, which along with feldspar are the ingredients for making fine, Chinese-style hard-paste porcelain.A porcelain-making industry around Limoges became important in the 19th century. Eventually, many firms made porcelain in Limoges, and one of them was the company belonging to Jean Pouyat, who signed pieces made in his factory "J.P." over an "L."The Pouyat family had a tin-glazed-earthenware factory in St. Yrieix when the kaolin was discovered, and Jean Pouyat's grandfather owned a kaolin mine there. Jean's father, Francois, ran a porcelain factory in Paris from the early 1800s to around 1840, and Jean established his own porcelain factory in Limoges in 1842.Jean Pouyat died just a few years later, in 1849, and the business passed to his sons. In 1911, the Jean Pouyat Co. merged with William Guerin and Co., and after the end of World War I both companies became part of Bawo and Dotter. The Jean Pouyat marks were used until 1932, when Bawo and Dotter went out of business.Jean Pouyat was a major exporter of porcelain wares to the United States, and sent over both decorated and undecorated wares called "blanks." The "blanks" were used extensively by American decorating studios such as Pickard and by amateur china painters.The "J.P."-over-"L" mark found on this mug is the designation Pouyat used on its undecorated white wares. The mark used on decorated wares was "J Pouyat Limoges" inside a wreath or "J.P" over L." with a second mark. That is missing on the mug belonging to F.E.K.The mug in today's question was painted by an amateur china painter sometime between 1891 and 1932. We think a circa-1910 date for this piece is probably about right.This particular mug is nicely painted and is far above average. Originally, the mug was probably part of a set that consisted of six to eight mugs plus a tall tankard pitcher. Such sets were popular during the first quarter of the 20th century.As for the insurance-replacement value, collectors tend to prefer pieces that are either decorated in the factory or by a professional company. This piece, however, is nicely done and should be valued in the $50-to-$75 range.(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, PO Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)