Red Nutcracker with Plume Hand-Painted Limoges Box

Dressed in classic red with a plume, this nutcracker is every inch the traditional holiday guard. It is a hand-painted porcelain Limoges box made in Limoges, France, a familiar Christmas character in fine French porcelain.

The Classic Red Coat

When people picture a nutcracker, they picture one like this: red, upright and proud, with a plume for flair. The figure became a Christmas icon thanks to German folk carvers and Tchaikovsky's beloved ballet. The hand-painting gives this porcelain version the small differences that set one piece apart from the next.

March of the Toy Soldiers

Stand it guard beside the stockings, line it up with a nutcracker collection on the mantel, or set it near the front door to greet holiday guests. It suits a dance teacher, a family that attends the ballet every December, or anyone building a nutcracker collection one figure at a time. It also makes a festive office desk accent for the season.

Nutcracker Suite Pairings

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Fits a nutcracker, Christmas or ballet collection
• Pairs with yellow nutcracker, sugar plum and drum boxes

Limoges porcelain is hard-paste porcelain, fired at very high heat, which helps a bright red like this stay crisp year after year.