Rochard Lily of the Valley Porcelain Egg Limoges Box

Tiny bell-shaped blooms of lily of the valley spill across this porcelain egg, and a heart jewel adds a sentimental finishing touch. Rochard made it as a Limoges box, painted by hand in Limoges, France, with a My Love theme at its heart.

May Day Bells

In France, friends and sweethearts trade sprigs of lily of the valley on the first of May for good luck, a custom called muguet. This egg brings that tender tradition to porcelain, pairing the springtime flower with a heart for someone dear.

A Jewel Among the Blossoms

• A Rochard design, hand-painted in Limoges, France
• Lily of the valley flowers with a heart jewel and a My Love theme
• Fits an egg, spring flower or romance collection

Springtime Sentiments

Give it on May Day, on Mother's Day, or for a wedding, since lily of the valley is a classic bridal flower. It also suits a May birthday, as the bloom is the flower of that month. A vanity, a bedroom dresser or a glass shelf of painted eggs gives it a fitting home.

A Long Line of Little Boxes

Small porcelain boxes first grew fashionable in 18th-century France, when they held snuff, pills and beauty patches. Today the egg remains one of the most loved shapes in the Limoges tradition.