Limoges Boxes of Paris and France
Paris Limoges boxes carry a small joke that never gets old, since these are souvenirs of France that were actually made in France. This shelf holds Eiffel Towers in blue, black, white and spring green, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur and a Moulin Rouge cabaret, each one Hand-Painted in the Limoges workshops and fitted with a hinged lid. It reads like a postcard rack you can open. The daily life of the city gets equal billing with its monuments. There is a hexagonal newspaper kiosk with six painted panels, a bistro cafe table, a fruit stand in the French market style, and a pantry run of Brie, a baguette, a tin of foie gras, Rochard macarons and an escargot.
Napoleon turns up too, his bicorne hat resting on a book and map, and a French guard stands watch atop a bell. Line a few towers along a bookshelf and let the food pieces gather near the wine rack, where guests will find them. The croquembouche wedding cake suits a couple who honeymooned in Paris, while the artist easel with its painted tower fits the traveler who sketches on the trip. Many boxes hide a small porcelain surprise inside, so lift the lid before you wrap it.
