Small Mallard Duck Porcelain Limoges Box

A mallard, the duck every pond and marsh seems to welcome, is modeled in porcelain for this small box. It is a hand-painted porcelain Limoges box made in Limoges, France, with painted plumage that gives it a lifelike presence on a shelf.

Dawn on the Marsh

Mallards are the most familiar of wild ducks, gliding across park ponds and rising from reeds at first light. This miniature captures that quiet, early morning feeling. It suits a room with natural textures, from wood paneling to woven baskets. Set beside a stack of field guides or a pair of binoculars, it looks as if it flew in from the nearest wetland.

Waterfowl and Wildlife

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Fits a duck, waterfowl or wild bird collection
• Looks at home in a den, cabin or lake house

White Clay, Wild Birds

Limoges has turned out porcelain since the late 1700s, when kaolin was found near Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, and wildlife subjects like this one remain a favorite. Give it to a birder, a duck hunter, a decoy collector or a friend who spends summer weekends at the lake. It also makes a handsome Father's Day present for a hunter's den.