Blue Purse Limoges Box with Diagonal Flowers

Instead of sitting in neat rows, the flowers on this blue porcelain purse sweep across it on a slant, as if blown by a breeze. It is a hand-painted Limoges box made in Limoges, France, with antiqued brass accents.

Blossoms on the Bias

Dressmakers cut fabric on the bias to make it drape, and the diagonal band of flowers here has the same easy movement. The simple handbag outline lets that slanting pattern do the talking. Blue keeps the look cool and calm, and the aged brass adds a touch of warmth.

Where It Fits

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Works in a blue and white grouping or a run of handbag boxes
• A contrast piece beside purses with symmetrical florals

Seamstress and Stylist Picks

Anyone who sews, designs clothes, or simply loves a well cut outfit will see the dressmaker's idea in it. Give it for a birthday or a new job in fashion, or set it on a sewing room shelf, a bedside table, or a powder room counter. Since the flowers are painted by hand, the angle and spacing shift slightly from piece to piece.