Lobster in a Basket Hand-Painted Limoges Box

Fresh off the boat, a lobster rests in a basket on this seaside porcelain box, looking every bit like the catch of the day. It is a hand-painted Limoges box made in Limoges, France, and since the lobster is porcelain, this one belongs on a shelf rather than a dinner plate.

Catch of the Day

Lobster suppers are a summer ritual along the New England coast, from Maine harbors to Cape Cod clam shacks. This piece captures that tradition in a small, cheerful scene. Every box is painted by hand, so the shell tones and basket details shift a little from one to the next.

Down at the Wharf

• Painted by hand on Limoges porcelain in France
• Groups with crab, oyster and fishing boat pieces
• Fits a seafood, coastal or New England kitchen collection

Clambake Season

Set it on a kitchen windowsill in a seaside cottage, on a bar cart next to the oyster forks, or on a bookshelf with a stack of coastal cookbooks. It makes a fun present for a lobsterman, a chef who swears by drawn butter, or a friend who rents the same Maine cottage every August. It also suits a host who throws a summer clambake each year, or a couple who got engaged on a trip to the shore. Anyone with a soft spot for harbor towns will recognize the scene immediately.