Apple Shaped Limoges Box with Painted Flowers

The traditional apple shape, round and inviting, is dressed here in a garden of painted flowers. This hand-painted porcelain Limoges box from Limoges, France pairs one of the classic Limoges fruit forms with a fresh floral twist.

An Orchard in Bloom

The apple has been a favorite Limoges shape for generations, a symbol of knowledge, health and a teacher's thanks. Covering it with flowers recalls the orchard in spring, when the branches are thick with blossoms long before the fruit appears. The flowers are applied by hand, so each apple carries its own gentle variations.

Fruit Bowl Favorites

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Groups with pear, strawberry, cherry and other floral pieces
• Suits an apple, fruit or flower collection

An Apple for the Teacher

Few presents say thank you to a teacher better than an apple, and this floral one makes the gesture last for years. It is just as fitting for a gardener, a friend from a New England orchard town, or a retiring school principal. Set it on a desk near a stack of books, a kitchen windowsill beside a fruit bowl, or a curio shelf where its painted flowers can be seen up close. Collectors who favor traditional shapes often keep several apples in different patterns side by side.