Frogs and turtles might be the most good-natured creatures at the pond, and they make some of the most charming Limoges boxes you can find. Here you will meet frogs in top hats and tuxedos, frog princes waiting for their kiss, a horned toad from the desert, and turtles who take life at their own unhurried pace, whether they are off to market, reading a book or watching over an egg in the sand.
Each one is a Limoges box: a small hand-painted porcelain box with a hinged lid, made in and around Limoges, France. Lift the lid and there is room for a ring, a note or a tiny keepsake.
Frogs are a long-standing symbol of luck and transformation, and turtles of patience and long life, which makes these boxes easy to give for a birthday, a graduation, a new home or simply a friend who loves the garden pond. Collectors often start with one and find that a second frog is never far behind.
Mr Turtle with Shopping Basket Limoges Box
Mr Turtle leaves for the Saturday market at dawn, because he knows exactly how long the walk takes. By the time he arrives, the baker is sweeping up and the cheese seller is packing his cart. No matter. There is always one last baguette and one perfect pear, and they fit in his basket just so.
Top Hat Mr Frog Porcelain Limoges Box
Monsieur Grenouille owns one top hat, and he wears it to everything: the opera, the bakery, the edge of the pond on a Tuesday. The dragonflies think it is a bit much. He tips it to them anyway, very politely, and goes on his way feeling like the best-dressed gentleman in all of the reeds.
Rochard Horned Toad Porcelain Limoges Box
Out where the trail gets dusty and the sun sits high, a horned toad keeps watch from a warm flat stone. He looks fierce, all spikes and squint. Ask the lizards, though, and they'll tell you he is the softest-hearted fellow in the desert, happy to share his stone with anyone who needs a spot in the shade.
Frog Perched on Mushrooms Limoges Box
After the spring rain, the mushrooms popped up overnight like little umbrellas, and the frog claimed the tallest one before breakfast. From up there he can see the whole forest floor: the beetles hurrying home, the snail who is always late, the first violets. He has declared himself king of the toadstools. Nobody has objected yet.
Rochard Mother Turtle and Baby Limoges Box
"Are we there yet?" asks the little one, for the fourth time since lunch. Mother Turtle smiles and slows down, which hardly seems possible. She knows the best part of any journey is the company, and that one day her baby will set the pace for someone small of their own.
Turtle on Sand Rochard Limoges Box, Removable Egg
On a warm night under a bright moon, the turtle hums to the egg beside her in the sand. It is a lullaby about the sea, the long blue road that waits for every little turtle. The waves keep time, soft and steady, and the egg seems to listen.
Rochard Monet Water Lily Frog Limoges Box
Every painter at the pond wants the same view, but only one guest gets to sit right in the middle of it. This frog has made himself comfortable among the lilies, perfectly still, as if posing for a canvas. Some afternoons he wonders whether he is admiring the painting or whether the painting is admiring him.
Crowned Frog Prince Rochard Limoges Box
The crown fits perfectly, the throne is a lily pad, and the kingdom is mostly reeds. Still, the frog prince waits with great patience for the kiss that will break the spell. Between visitors he practices his bow, polishes his crown with a leaf, and rehearses the very charming thing he plans to say.
Violin Playing Frog in a Tuxedo Limoges Box
When the evening chorus at the pond grew a little too loud and a little too out of tune, one frog put on his tuxedo and picked up his violin. Now the concert starts at dusk, sharp. The crickets keep the rhythm, the fireflies handle the lighting, and the audience of lily pads applauds by rocking gently on the water.
Reading Turtle Hand-Painted Limoges Box
Some readers race to the last page. Not this turtle. She reads one chapter, then sits with it for a while, watching the clouds and thinking things over. Her friends at the café tease her that she will never finish the book. She just turns the page, slowly, and tells them that is the whole idea.
Frog Riding a Snail Porcelain Limoges Box
"Faster!" cries the frog, waving his arm toward the far side of the garden. The snail does not go faster. The snail has never gone faster in its life. By sundown they will have crossed exactly three paving stones, and the frog will call it the grandest adventure ever had.
Porcelain Turtle Limoges Box with Painted Flowers
A turtle who naps in the garden all summer is bound to come away with a few flowers. This one woke up to find blossoms blooming right across her shell, and decided she rather liked it. Now she strolls the paths like a little moving flower bed, and the bees follow her everywhere.
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