Large Eggplant Hand-Painted Limoges Box

Deep, glossy and generously sized, this larger eggplant has the rounded heft of the best one at the market stall. Its maker shaped and painted it by hand in Limoges, France, as a porcelain Limoges box.

Aubergine, the French Way

In France the eggplant is the aubergine, the heart of ratatouille and a summer favorite from Provence to Paris. This bigger version gives the vegetable a confident presence, the kind of piece that anchors a shelf rather than hiding at the back.

Ratatouille on the Shelf

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Partners with the medium eggplant for a matched pair
• Rounds out tomato, fennel and lettuce boxes in a vegetable set

A Centerpiece for the Cook

Put it in the middle of a kitchen shelf display, on an open hutch or near the spice rack where it can be seen while dinner is being made. It is a fun present for someone famous for their eggplant parmesan, a vegetarian friend, or a gardener who finally coaxed a crop out of a stubborn plant. Many collectors enjoy the contrast of its dark skin beside the reds and greens of other vegetable boxes, and the larger scale gives the whole lineup a natural focal point.

Like every hand-painted piece, its tones vary slightly from one box to the next.