Fleur-de-Lis

The Fleur-de-Lis, sometimes spelled Fleur-de-Lys, is rich in history and legendary. 

Representing either a lily, lotus flower or an iris, its motif comes from a distant past and to this day, remains a mystery as to its origins.

Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to signify perfection, light, and life. 

The Retailers - The Horchow Collection

Horchow was the first free-standing luxury catalog business in the United Stated not attached to a large store. The founder, Roger Horchow, published his first catalog in 1973, after graduating from Yale and working in retail at Neiman Marcus. He sold the catalog business to Neiman Marcus in 1988 and went on to become a Tony award winning Broadway producer.

Some famous clients include the Royal Family of Monaco, several Kennedys, Liza Minnelli and Robert Redford, who once ordered a gadget to kill bugs on his ranch.

Pictured is a dog bonbonniere from an early catalog along with two catalog covers from the late 1970's.

A Cornucopia of Clasps

Almost every Limoges Box has a decorative clasp that matches the theme of the piece, as well as the banding and serves a purpose...to keep the box closed with a 'snap'. These clasps come in a wide array of styles from simple round buttons, bows and hearts to the very elaborate, and all are slightly bent to catch the metal banding and close securely. Some collectors focus on the clasp and will purchase a piece simply because it has an unusual clasp.

This clasp is made from 24k gold plated sterling silver from Faberge and the design is the Romanov Double Eagle.








The French farmhouse theme is repeated here with this hen clasp from a box featuring a rooster.

This exquisite seahorse is found on an oyster box which opens to a 'pearl' inside and this bottle of French Chamagne has a bunch of grapes at the tip of the Eiffel Tower.

Guy Buffet & Those Whimsical French Waiters

French painter Guy Buffet is famed for his humorous & whimsical art, prints and posters of restaurant and bar scenes, featuring chefs, waiters and barmen, food and drink. He has been drawing and painting since childhood and grew up in a family who owned a restaurant in France. Guy has a huge following worldwide. Anyone who loves food and wine is likely to own at least one of his many licensed products, ranging from shoes, ties, shirts, kitchenware, books, calendars, and prints. Some of his most famous products were items produced for the culinary store Williams-Sonoma.

This Limoges box mixes the elegance of a fine work of art  with the whimsical humor reminiscent of Mr. Buffet's quirky paintings.



How to open your Limoges Box

How to Open Your Limoges Box

Before attempting to open your Limoges box, please carefully read these instructions:

1. Make sure clasp on front of metal band is facing you.
2. Place thumbnails in between the two halves of the metal bands.
3. Gently pull thumbnails in opposite directions until box opens. The clasp is decorative only and does not cause the box to snap open or closed.
4. NEVER pull on the porcelain to open the box. NEVER pull on the clasp. NEVER try to force the box open. NEVER use a knife blade or sharp object to open the box - it may scratch the rim or puncture your hand!
5. Once opened, never pressure the hinge to go backwards if there is resistance... that is designed into the box. NEVER slam the box closed, as this may cause the porcelain to crack or break.
6. Invariably, your friends will want to open your boxes, and that's generally asking for trouble. It's best if you open the box for your friend, and hand it to him or her open.