Rochard Plumed Nutcracker Limoges Box on a Red Base

Standing tall on a bright red base, this nutcracker wears a proud plume, ready to guard the Christmas tree. Rochard hand-paints the porcelain Limoges box in Limoges, France, a holiday sentry in miniature.

On Guard Beneath the Tree

Nutcrackers have stood watch over Christmas since the carved wooden soldiers of Germany's Erzgebirge region, and Tchaikovsky's ballet made them stars of the season. Rochard brings the tradition into porcelain, with the red base and the plume giving this figure a crisp, parade-ready look. Each one is painted by hand, so no two uniforms match perfectly.

Marching Into December

• A Rochard nutcracker painted by hand in Limoges, France
• Fits a nutcracker, Christmas or Nutcracker ballet collection
• Pairs with other nutcracker, toy soldier and Christmas tree boxes

Curtain Up on the Holidays

Line it up on the mantel with a row of wooden nutcrackers, set it on a piano for the season, or give it a spot on the entry table. It is a fitting present for a young dancer's teacher, a ballet company patron, or anyone who takes the family to see The Nutcracker every December. Collectors who add a new nutcracker each year will welcome it to the ranks.