Octagonal Nativity Rochard Limoges Box

Eight neat sides frame a hand-painted Nativity scene, giving the Christmas story a classic box shape. The Rochard workshop in Limoges, France, produced this porcelain Limoges box and decorated it with a brush.

Silent Night on Eight Sides

An octagon has long been a favored shape for fine boxes, and here it gives the scene of the Holy Family a tidy, framed setting. Unlike a standing figure, this box presents the whole story in one compact piece.

The Story at a Glance

• A Rochard Nativity box from Limoges, France
• Sits well beside the Rochard manger and Holy Family figures
• Fits a Christmas, Advent or faith collection

Beside the Advent Wreath

Place it on a nightstand for evening prayers, on a mantel among pine boughs, or beside an Advent wreath as the candles are lit each Sunday in December. It suits a small apartment where a full crèche won't fit, and makes a thoughtful Christmas present for a pastor, a Sunday school teacher or a godchild's family.

Painted Once the Kiln Cools

Many Limoges boxes are painted by hand after the white porcelain is fired, and their metal mounts are fitted by hand as well. That patient process is part of what gives a Nativity box like this one its gentle, personal look.