Not every treasure needs to be serious. Some of the most beloved Limoges boxes are the ones that make you laugh out loud: mice riding a carnival swing, a panda balancing on a circus drum, a taxi cab lost in the jungle. This collection is for those happy surprises.
Limoges boxes are small hand-painted porcelain boxes with hinged lids, made in and around Limoges, France. Here they bring the fun of the fairground and the open road into miniature, with carousels and clowns, popcorn and lollipops, gondolas, bicycles, airplanes and a very crowded Noah's Ark.
Whimsical boxes make wonderful gifts for people who seem to have everything, for children and grandchildren, for retirements and birthdays, or for anyone who could use a smile. They also bring personality to a collection, the conversation starter that guests always pick up first. Choose one that matches a memory, a dream trip or an inside joke, and let it do the talking.
Rochard Blue and Pink Carousel Limoges Box Figurine
In the Jardin du Luxembourg of a child's memory, the carousel is always turning. The painted horses rise and fall, the music tinkles, and one brave little boy reaches for the brass ring every single time. He never catches it, and he never stops trying. That, his mother says, is the whole point.
Popcorn Porcelain Limoges Box Figurine
The lights dim, the curtain parts, and somewhere in row twelve a hand reaches for the popcorn. Then another hand, and another. By the opening credits the bucket is half empty. By the big kiss it's gone entirely, and two friends are already arguing over who ate the last buttery piece.
Harlequin Jester with Mandolin Limited Edition Limoges Figurine
Beneath a balcony in an old Italian town, the harlequin tunes his mandolin and clears his throat. His song is terribly off-key, his rhymes are worse, and the lady above pretends not to listen. Still, a rose drifts down from the window at the end, and he bows as if the whole piazza applauded.
Mini Panda on Circus Drum Porcelain Limoges Box
Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest balancing act in all the world! The drumroll builds, the spotlight swings, and the little panda climbs onto the drum with tremendous dignity. He wobbles once. The crowd gasps. Then he grins, sits down and eats a bamboo snack. The audience goes wild.
Big Top Circus Tent Porcelain Limoges Box
Overnight, a striped tent has sprung up in the meadow outside the village, flags snapping in the wind. By breakfast every child knows. By lunch the baker has run out of brioche. By evening the whole town is in line, clutching tickets and wondering what wonders wait beneath the canvas.
Blue Clown Lollipop Wrapper Porcelain Limoges Box Figurine
A reward for being brave at the doctor's office, a treat for finishing every vegetable, a bribe from a grandfather who should know better. The lollipop in the blue clown wrapper has seen it all. It never melts, never gets sticky, and somehow always makes a frown turn upside down.
Taxi Car in the Jungle Porcelain Limoges Box
"Take me to the museum," said the passenger. The driver nodded, took a left, then another left, and somehow ended up deep in the rainforest. Parrots squawk overhead. A monkey peers in the window. The meter keeps running, but the passenger is having far too much fun to complain.
Yellow Beach Cruiser Bicycle Limoges Box Figurine with Brass Sunglasses
Parked by the boardwalk with sunglasses perched on the handlebars, this bicycle is clearly on vacation. Its rider has gone for an ice cream, two scoops of strawberry. Soon they'll pedal slowly along the shore, bell ringing for no reason at all except that summer seems to call for it.
Venice Gondola Rochard Porcelain Limoges Box
The gondolier sings, the canal glimmers, and the honeymooners in the back try very hard not to giggle when he hits the high note. They glide under a little stone bridge, past laundry flapping from a window, and the bride decides then and there that this is the best day of her life.
Noah's Ark Boat and Animals Hand-Painted Limoges Box
Two giraffes, two elephants, two lions and a pair of very opinionated parrots. It's crowded on deck, and the zebras insist on standing near the front. Down below, the rabbits have already started a family. Everyone keeps scanning the horizon, waiting for a dove and a rainbow.
Airport with Flying Plane Rochard Limoges Box
Wheels up! Below, the airport shrinks to the size of a toy, and somewhere in seat 14A a little girl presses her nose to the window. She is flying to see her grandmother in Bordeaux for the very first time, all by herself, with a sandwich, a crayon set and enormous pride.
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