Blue Flower Heart with Ladybug Limoges Box

A blue flower blooms across a porcelain heart, and a ladybug has stopped by to visit. Rochard made this Limoges box and hand-painted it in Limoges, France, mixing a garden scene with one of the most loved shapes in collecting.

Blue Blooms and a Visitor

Blue is not the usual color for a heart, which is exactly why this one stands out on a shelf full of reds and pinks. The ladybug adds a touch of luck and a bit of life to the floral design. Every petal and spot is applied by hand, so each finished heart has its own gentle variations.

Petal and Wing Pairings

• A Rochard heart, painted by hand in Limoges, France
• Gives contrast to a row of red, pink and gold heart boxes
• Joins flower, garden and ladybug pieces in a spring grouping

A Spring Garden Token

It suits Mother's Day, a spring birthday, or a thank-you for a friend whose garden is always in bloom. Gardeners and flower club members tend to appreciate the mix of heart and blossom.

Where the White Clay Was Found

The porcelain trade in Limoges took off after kaolin, a fine white clay, was found near Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche in 1768, and the region has made porcelain ever since the late 1700s.