Porcelain Wine Barrel Limoges Box

A wine barrel, the kind that rests in long rows in a French chai, is the subject of this porcelain piece. Its staves and hoops were colored by hand in Limoges, France, on a porcelain Limoges box that never needs topping up.

Aging Gracefully in the Chai

Oak barrels give wine its depth and character, and in Bordeaux or Burgundy a cellar full of them is a quiet, fragrant place. This box brings that atmosphere to a shelf. Hand painting gives it subtle variations that echo the grain of real wood.

Kiln and Cellar

The porcelain itself has a long heritage, too. Limoges hard-paste porcelain is fired at very high heat, and the craft has thrived in the city since kaolin was found nearby in 1768.

Cellar Door Moments

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Pairs with wine bottle, champagne, grape and corkscrew pieces
• Suits a wine club member, a winemaker or a cooper

It also makes a memorable souvenir of a vineyard tour, a housewarming present for a couple with a new wine cellar, or a thank you to a sommelier. Set it on a wine rack, a bar shelf or a tasting room counter.