Under the Sea Limoges Boxes
Under the sea Limoges boxes take the collection below the waterline. Tropical fish in yellow, blue and orange stripes swim beside dolphins cresting a wave and a mother whale with her calf. Oysters open on pearls, a sea turtle crawls up the sand, and goldfish circle their bowls. Rochard adds some of the best tricks in the group. The shark comes with a removable tooth, the pelican gives up his fish, and the lobster trap lets its lobster lift out.
Many of these pieces hide a little extra inside the lid. The shoreline gets its share too, with a crab on the beach, a sand dollar with a starfish and a lobster in a basket, and a seal balances a beach ball, and the Little Mermaid of Copenhagen sits on her rock. Each is porcelain from Limoges, France, with a hinge and clasp, and the colors on the reef fish come straight from the painter's brush, layered and fired so the stripes stay crisp. Line them along a window over the water, or give one to the diver who still logs every dive. A trio of dolphins makes a fine anniversary note for a couple who met at the coast.
