Multicolor Cobalt Blue Egg Hand-Painted Limoges Box

Picture a porcelain egg dipped in deep cobalt and then brightened with a burst of multicolor painting. This hand-painted Limoges box was made in Limoges, France, and it brings real punch to an egg shelf.

Cobalt With a Carnival Streak

Cobalt blue has been prized on French porcelain for generations because it fires to such a rich, saturated tone. Here that dark ground acts like a night sky behind the brighter colors, which seem to glow against it. The egg shape gives the design a smooth, unbroken surface to wrap around, so it looks good from every side.

Breaking Up the Pastels

• Hand-painted porcelain made in Limoges, France
• A bold counterpoint in an Easter or decorated egg collection
• Pairs well with a footed blue and gold egg or other cobalt pieces

Spring Table, Year-Round Shelf

At Easter it can sit in the middle of a brunch table among dyed eggs and tulips. The rest of the year, a glass cabinet with a light inside shows off the cobalt best. It is a cheerful pick for a spring birthday or for anyone who already has a row of pale eggs and wants one that stands out.

Fired in the Heart of France

Limoges has turned out porcelain since the late 1700s, after deposits of fine white kaolin were found near Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche. That same hard, bright clay still sits underneath every painted color on this egg.