Tent Shaped Porcelain Limoges Box in Blue and Gold

Shaped like a peaked tent and dressed in blue and gold, this porcelain box follows one of the traditional forms long favored in Limoges. Porcelain makers in Limoges, France, formed this Limoges box and painted its colors by hand.

Under the Peaked Roof

Tent-shaped boxes, with their sloping sides meeting at a ridge, are among the classic shapes of the French porcelain box tradition. Blue and gold is an equally classic pairing, the colors of royal France, and here they give a simple form a dignified finish.

Royal Blue Pairings

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Sits beside round, oval and heart boxes in a traditional-shape collection
• Suits a blue and gold, French style or formal room

Fit for a Formal Room

Set it on a writing desk with a fountain pen, a nightstand in a blue bedroom, or a glass shelf beside cobalt and gilt china. Because it does not depend on a theme, it works as a present for nearly anyone, from a graduating student in school colors of blue and gold to a colleague with classic taste. Many collectors who start with figural pieces come back to the traditional shapes for their quiet, timeless lines.

A Box With Old Roots

Small porcelain boxes became fashionable in 18th-century France, when they held snuff, pills and the tiny beauty patches worn at court. The tent shape carries a little of that heritage.