Some people count the days until summer. This collection is for them. Here you'll find Limoges boxes inspired by the beach, the harbor and the deep blue sea, each a hand-painted porcelain box with a hinged lid, made in and around Limoges, France, and each one carrying a little salt air to the shelf.
Set out a beach chair under its umbrella, pack the sand pail and shovel, and load the surfboard onto a woodie wagon. Down at the harbor, a sailboat heads out with a life ring at the ready, a fisherman waits by the dock, and a lighthouse watches over the boats coming home. Further out, a mother dolphin swims beside her calf, a seal shows off with a beach ball, a mermaid surfaces from the old stories, and a lobster considers its options near the trap.
These make happy gifts for sailors, surfers, beach-house owners, coastal families and anyone who keeps a jar of shells from every vacation. Even in January, one glance and you can almost hear the waves.
Rochard Beach Chair Limoges Box Figurine in Blue with Umbrella
The chair was set up at nine, the umbrella planted just so, and a paperback left on the seat to claim the spot. By ten the beach was crowded, but nobody dared take it. By noon its owner finally returned with an ice cream, sat down, read one page and fell asleep.
Woodie Wagon and Surfboard Rochard Limoges Box
The wagon creaks, the radio crackles, and the surfboard on top has more dings than anyone can count. Nobody cares. The waves are rolling in, the sun is out, and four friends with sandy feet are singing along, off-key, all the way down the coast road to their favorite break.
Pig on the Beach with Umbrella Limoges Box
Monsieur Cochon has had a very busy year on the farm, and he has earned this vacation. He has his umbrella, his towel and absolutely no plans. The seagulls have asked him twice to share his sandwich. Twice he has pretended to be asleep. He is getting quite good at it.
Rochard Sailboat and Life Saver Porcelain Limoges Box
The breeze picks up just past the harbor wall, and the little sail snaps tight. Captain Lucie, age ten, takes the tiller with enormous dignity. Her grandfather sits back with his hat over his eyes, one hand resting near the life ring, just in case. He hasn't been needed in years.
Fisherman on a Boat by the Dock Limoges Box
The water is so still at dawn that the boat seems to float on glass. Old Henri casts his line, pours coffee from a thermos and waits. Some mornings the fish bite. Some mornings they don't. Either way, he says, it's the best seat in the village, and the quietest.
Rochard Nantucket Lighthouse and Boat Limoges Box
Fog rolls in at suppertime, thick as chowder, and the beam begins its slow sweep across the harbor. Out on the water, a small boat turns for home by its light. Up in the tower, the keeper's cat watches it come in, as she does every evening, before curling up for the night.
Rochard Sand Pail Limoges Box, Sailboat and Shovel Design
Step one: fill the pail. Step two: pat it down very, very firmly. Step three: flip it over and pray. Little Théo has done this forty times today, and the castle now has six towers, a moat and a seaweed flag. The tide, unfortunately, has plans of its own.
Rochard Palm Tree and Hammock Limoges Box
There is a hammock strung between the palm and the breeze, and the only rule is that you aren't allowed to check your phone. Coconuts rustle overhead. Waves shush against the sand. Somewhere a steel drum is playing. Time passes, probably, but nobody in the hammock is keeping track.
Rochard Lobster Trap Limoges Box with Lift Out Lobster
Larry the lobster went into the trap for the bait and stayed for the view. Now he has climbed out again, very pleased with himself, and is sitting on top of the trap as though he owns the dock. The fishermen have decided he's a mascot. Larry has decided he's the captain.
Mermaid Porcelain Limoges Box by Rochard
Sailors used to swear they heard her singing on moonlit nights, somewhere past the last buoy. Most people laughed. But the old lighthouse keeper always left a seashell on the rocks at the end of the jetty, and every morning, without fail, it was gone, and something shiny had been left in its place.
Playful Seal Balancing a Beach Ball Limoges Box
Ta-da! The beach ball wobbles, the seal holds perfectly still, and the crowd of children on the pier bursts into applause. He takes a bow, a little too deep, and the ball rolls into the sea. No matter. He's already eyeing the fish, which was, frankly, the whole point of the show.
Rochard Mother Dolphin and Calf Limoges Box
Swimming lessons begin at sunrise. The calf stays close, so close their fins almost touch, copying every leap and dive. Mother shows the way through the waves, patient and sure. By evening the little one is showing off for every passing boat, and Mother pretends not to be proud.
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