Meaning of red T painted on Limoges plate A Lanternier 1891-1914?

Does anyone know the meaning of the large red “T” painted on the back of this antique Limoges plate, stamped A. Lanternier (8 5/8 inches diameter)? Decorator’s initial? (But if so, why not sign the image on the plate?) The backstamp dates from 1891-1914. Thank you.

 

It looks like red nail polish from the photo. Sometimes ladies would mark their plates, etc., if they took some baking or cooked dish to a party, tea or other function, and nail polish wouldn't wash or fall off. So it's possible that it's a personal identifier rather than a factory mark.

 

A factory seconds mark?

 

It does not appear to be nail polish over the glaze. I would think I could scrape against the edge of that with my fingernail.

Why would it be a second? Looks beautiful. Has a chip now, but if it were chipped at the factory over 100 years ago, surely it would have been discarded, not sold as a "second." BWDIK! Does anyone know how seconds were marked? Are there other examples of this? There are some marks in the flowers, which I took to be either utensil marks or just part of the brushstrokes in the original paint; maybe they were original and considered flaws? (See details.)

Thanks for the possible explanations.

 

Since you state that the plate is hand painted, this could be the decorator's mark. But usually, it would be in one of the colors that was used on the plate. And, I wouldn't think that the manufacturer would permit using a large red T. It kind of messes up the elegant look.

It could be a seconds mark, but hard to say. Seconds aren't always obvious. It might be a flower was smudged, or something else that we Would never notice. It might have to remain a mystery mark, although I was leaning toward what @kentworld said.

 

You could apply some nail polish remover to the big red T and see if it disappears.