Carnival Amusement Ride Rochard Limoges Box

Bright as a summer fairground at dusk, this little carnival amusement ride turns a spin on the midway into a porcelain keepsake. It is a Rochard Limoges box, painted by hand on hard-paste porcelain in Limoges, France.

Tickets for One More Ride

Think of county fairs, boardwalk evenings and the first time someone let go of the safety bar. The ride is modeled as the box itself, so the fun of the fair sits right in the shape. Rochard is known for lighthearted subjects like this one, and the painting is done by hand rather than printed.

The Midway Shelf

• A Rochard piece, finished by hand in Limoges, France
• Anchors a carnival, fairground or theme park grouping
• Pairs with carousel, Ferris wheel, popcorn and circus boxes

When the Fair Comes to Town

Put it out on a bookshelf or a desk in late summer, when the state fair season rolls around. It suits a birthday for someone who never skips the rides, a retirement for a roller coaster fan, or a thank you for the friend who still wins at ring toss.

Small boxes like this have a long past. In 18th-century France they were the fashionable way to carry snuff, pills or beauty patches, and Limoges workshops still shape, fire and paint them in the same city today.