Orchard Fruit Limoges Boxes
Orchard fruit Limoges boxes fill a porcelain bowl that never bruises or goes soft. Bright red apples, pears with stems, plums, lemons, ripe raspberries and a half peeled banana come shaped and painted by hand in Limoges, France. Many open on a hinged lid with a metal clasp, and a few hide a small surprise inside. Rochard cherries come in pairs on brass stems, a ladybug lands on half a lemon, and a honey bee rests on an apple. A Rochard watermelon has a slice that lifts right out, a pineapple stands tall, and a kitchen scale weighs a heap of produce.
A basket of tomatoes and a crate of strawberries complete the harvest. Not every box is shaped like the fruit itself. Some are classic rounds, ovals and scalloped pieces in red, gold and green, painted with grapes or cherries across the lid, and a green fruit stand recalls a market morning in Provence. Group a few in a shallow dish on the kitchen island or the dining sideboard, and they read as a still life. They suit the cook, the gardener with a few trees out back, or anyone who still remembers the apple tree in the yard.
