rench porcelain Limoges boxes are magnificent art pieces to collect and display proudly around your home.
Although today’s Limoges boxes are mainly collected for their beauty and artistry, it is great to know that they can also have many utilitarian purposes as well.
What could be better to give (or receive) a special gift of a beautiful hand-painted French Limoges box and open it to find even a greater surprise inside!
The French porcelain Limoges boxes of today are created in a plethora of subject matters and for every area of interest. These charming keepsake porcelain boxes are mainly considered as decorative art pieces as well as highly sought-after and valued collectibles.
However, the history of porcelain Limoges boxes clearly indicates that initially these exquisite miniature boxes originated with utilitarian and practical purposes.
The Historical Uses of French Limoges Boxes
In the 1700s and 1800s when snuff-taking was popular in Europe, especially among the higher echelon of society, French Limoges boxes became the perfect container to hold the snuff powder. The small dimensions of the Limoges box made it just the perfect size to fit into any gentleman’s pocket and the beautiful hand-painted decoration made it an eye-catching object to behold.
In its early history, the Limoges box also became a popular and must-have object to own by the ladies as well. The miniature porcelain container was the perfect vessel to hold tiny objects such as sewing needles, small pieces of jewelry, tiny love notes and more.
Early collectors of Limoges boxes were greatly enthused about their tiny possessions. As miniature symbols of power and prestige, snuffboxes became objects of obsessive collecting by gentlemen as well as ladies.
Famous historical personalities are known to have collected French Limoges boxes in vast quantities. For much more detailed information, see Limoges Boxes Historically Collected by European Royalty.
Among such historical Limoges collectors were Marquise de Pompadour who used some of her Limoges boxes as makeup containers. Marie Antoinette was a great collector of Limoges boxes as well as Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia who is known to have had an extremely large collection of French Limoges boxes.
Napoleon Bonaparte was also a great collector of French Limoges boxes, many of which were decorated with his own image! Due to the fact that Napoleon suffered from bouts of coughing, he carried a bonbonniere Limoges box at all times with candies inside to soothe his cough.
With the passage of time, collecting porcelain Limoges boxes became much more widespread. And, today, collecting these precious art pieces continues strongly throughout the world and especially in the United States.
Today’s Uses of French Limoges Boxes
As mentioned above, French porcelain Limoges boxes today are primarily collected as art pieces. Most Limoges boxes have a painting inside and many come with additional porcelain accessory pieces inside as well.
Although French porcelain Limoges boxes are magnificent art pieces to collect and display proudly around your home or to give as precious and valuable gifts, they can also store (or hide) a special tiny surprise item inside.
What could be better to give (or receive) a special gift of a beautiful hand-painted French Limoges box and open it to find even a greater surprise inside!
The opening inside a French Limoges box provides the perfect space to store tiny objects of importance. There are so many ideas on the types of objects that can be stored in a Limoges box.
Many people today refer to Limoges porcelain boxes as “pill boxes”. As implied, these charming boxes make the perfect container to store one’s daily pills. The small size of the Limoges box is also perfect for fitting easily in the pocket or the lady’s purse.
Below are a few more ideas of items that can be stored in a Limoges box:
- A Limoges box makes the perfect container to store small pieces of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more
- When given as a gift, a Limoges box can store folded dollar bills (preferably a $100 bill)!!!
- Another perfect keepsake to be held in a Limoges box is baby teeth and/or a lock of hair
- Not only a pill box, a Limoges box makes an ideal container for mints or candies to carry in your purse.
The list of items that can be stored in a French porcelain Limoges box is long but you can certainly use your own imagination for what other items you would like to place in a Limoges box. Also see What Do You Put in a Limoges Box?
Conclusion
Even though French porcelain Limoges boxes of today are mainly collected and admired for their beauty and artistry, they also make the perfect keepsake box for holding tiny precious objects, especially when given as a gift.
With precious keepsakes inside, the Limoges box becomes even a much more wonderful collectible object which brings back great memories every time it is opened.
At LimogesCollector.com, we are proud to offer one of the largest selection of fine French Limoges boxes of the highest quality created by the very best artisans in Limoges, France. We specialize in French Limoges boxes and import our Limoges boxes directly from the top Limoges producers in Limoges, France. We are also authorized dealers and retailers of various top Limoges brands. Our collection continually grows and includes the newest creations from Limoges as well as retired, hard-to-find and rare Limoges boxes. Choosing from over 5,000 styles of French Limoges boxes on our website, you can find Limoges boxes for your collection related to almost any subject or area of your interest. You can also find gifts galore from our vast collection for any occasion or recipient on your list.
Our website also offers a personalization service which makes your Limoges purchase much more meaningful for any occasion. You can also choose our professional giftwrap service for a beautifully presentable gift for any occasion.
So, take a few moments now and browse our website and see which pieces capture your imagination and which ones you would love to add to your collection.
