Not every trophy needs to be gold. This collection is for the players, the fans and the friendly rivals, with Limoges boxes celebrating sports, golf and games of every kind. Each is a hand-painted porcelain box with a hinged lid, made in and around Limoges, France, and each one captures a favorite pastime in miniature.
Golfers will find a mouse lining up his shot on a golf ball, a golfer cruising to the first tee in an aqua cart, and a pair of shoes resting by the cup after the winning putt. There are mice playing tennis, skiers riding the gondola up the mountain, snowmen racing downhill on a sled, cyclists climbing a hard hill, and a baseball case packed for game day. For game night, deal yourself a royal straight flush, try your luck at the slot machine or fill in a crossword.
These make cheerful gifts for a club champion, a coach, a retiree with a new tee time, a teammate or the friend who never misses poker night. Win or lose, everybody goes home with something.
Mouse Golfing on a Golf Ball Limoges Box
For a mouse, every golf course is enormous, and every golf ball is roughly the size of a hot-air balloon. Undeterred, Hubert climbs on top, waggles his tiny club and studies the green with great seriousness. His friends keep telling him he's standing on the ball. Hubert says it improves his view.
Golfer Driving Aqua Golf Cart Porcelain Limoges Box
Saturday, seven sharp. Gerald has his visor on, his thermos of coffee in the cup holder and his clubs strapped in the back. He has been looking forward to this all week. He'll shoot a little over par, blame the wind, and drive home in the same cheerful mood he arrived in.
Rochard Golf Club and Shoes by the Hole Limoges Box
The putt dropped on the eighteenth, the gallery of three friends cheered, and the winner kicked off his shoes on the spot, right there on the green. The club lies where he dropped it. Somewhere in the clubhouse he is buying a round and telling the story for the second time.
Red Plaid Golf Cap Porcelain Limoges Box
Uncle Fergus wears the red plaid cap to every round, rain or shine, and swears it is lucky. The evidence is thin. But he has never once lost it, it matches nothing he owns, and everyone on the course can spot him from three fairways away, which may be the real point.
Tennis Playing Mice Hand-Painted Limoges Box Figurine
Deuce. Advantage, Mademoiselle Souris. The crowd of crickets in the stands holds its breath. Across the net, her brother wipes his whiskers and crouches low. This match has been going on since lunch, and the only thing at stake is the last crumb of Camembert. Naturally, nobody is giving an inch.
Rochard Ski Gondola Hand-Painted Limoges Box
Up, up, up the gondola climbs, swaying gently over the snowy pines. Inside, four strangers in puffy jackets compare notes on wax, weather and where to find the best hot chocolate at the top. By the time the doors open, they've planned lunch together and agreed on a race to the bottom.
Rochard Baseball Glove, Bat and Ball Case Limoges Box
The case has been packed since Friday night: glove oiled, bat wiped down, ball tucked in the pocket just so. Little Sam slept with it beside the bed. Game day starts at nine, and he has already asked what time it is eleven times. His dad is pretending to be calm about it too.
Rochard Uphill Bicycles Cycling Limoges Box
The hill is steep, the sun is hot, and the village at the top seems to move further away with every pedal stroke. Still, the riders push on, standing on their pedals and grinning through gritted teeth. At the summit there's a café, a cold drink, and the glorious downhill on the other side.
Rochard Snowmen Sledding Limoges Box Figurine
The children went inside for cocoa, and the snowmen saw their chance. One borrowed a sled, the other borrowed a scarf, and away they went down the hill, carrots first. They were back in the front yard, perfectly still, before anyone noticed. Only the tracks in the snow give them away.
Rochard Royal Straight Flush Hand of Cards Limoges Box
Ace, king, queen, jack, ten, all hearts. Aunt Margot looks at her cards, sips her tea, and says nothing at all. Around the kitchen table, her nephews push their pennies to the middle. They have played with her for twenty years and still haven't learned that her silence is a warning.
Rochard Jackpot Slot Machine Hand-Painted Limoges Box
One more pull, she told herself, just one more, and then dinner. The lever clunked, the lights flickered, and the reels began to spin. Cherry. Cherry. A long, slow pause. Bells began ringing all around the room, and suddenly dinner was going to be somewhere much, much fancier.
Rochard Crossword Puzzle Limoges Box Figurine
Seven letters, a word meaning "small treasure." Monsieur Bernard taps his pencil against his teeth, stares out the café window, and orders another espresso. Every morning it's the same ritual: the newspaper, the puzzle, the one clue he can't get. Today, he suspects, the answer is sitting right on his shelf.
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