Graduation Teddy Bear on Diploma Limoges Box

A teddy bear graduate sits proudly atop a rolled diploma, ready to toss a cap into the air. Bear and diploma were painted by hand in Limoges, France, to form this porcelain Limoges figurine box.

Top of the Teddy Class

Teddy bears have long been companions through every stage of life, and this one marks the big moment of finishing school. The diploma beneath the bear says it all: the work is done, the celebration has begun.

Cap, Gown and Diploma

• Graduate teddy bear posed on a diploma
• Fits a graduation, teddy bear or milestone collection
• Pairs with books, owl and mortarboard pieces

Handed Out With Pride

This is a warm present for a high school, college, nursing or law school graduate, or for a teacher retiring after years of commencements. Parents and grandparents often buy two, one for the graduate and one to keep at home as a reminder of the day. Set it on a desk beside the framed diploma, on a bookshelf with yearbooks, or in a glass cabinet of family milestones. As each bear is painted by hand, small differences in coloring make every graduate its own.

From Kaolin to Keepsake

Limoges has been making porcelain since the late 1700s, once white kaolin clay was found close by. Each small box is shaped, fired at high heat and then painted by hand.