A. A collection based on the Antique Tobacco Leaf Pattern done in shades of blue, green and rose.

A1. The Rabbit.  Originally in our catalog at $272.90.  Best Buy at $185.90.

A2.  The Turtle. Originally in our catalog at $167.90.  Best Buy at $92.90.

B. The Maharaja Elephant Box. Originally designed as part of a group of full size table top pieces that was so successful Chamart reproduced them in miniature. An ultra sophisticated version of a very old design that stems from India. Notice the body dress of the elephant, the ankle bracelets and cap that extends down the trunk of the animal. The coloring of the box is particularly pleasing to the eye, soft but nevertheless, impressive! Stunning on a desk or library table. The Perfect Gift for a man! In the catalog at $169.90.  Best Buy at: $110.90.

C. The Double Wedding Ring Box. There have been few Limoges Ring Boxes made over the years, although there are always numerous requests for them, so you can imagine how pleased I was to find this treasure . A pair of white doves sitting atop a gleaming gold double box that holds two rings side by side.  The interior is lined in deep blue velvet fastened by a rope of braided gold and a clasp of twined hearts  to secure it all. Voila!  A place to keep his and her wedding rings.  Perfect for the nightstand.  Perfection for the proposal.  Thoughtful as a wedding gift and what could be nicer as an anniversary gift!  Retail:  About $151.00.  Best Buy at $84.90.

D. Please understand, these are not boxes, they are very tiny teacups and saucers, the saucer being 3" in diameter and the cup 3/4" high. They wee made only for us. Retail: Upwards of $200. Our price each: $178.90. Best Buy at $114.90.

A. The Golden Dragon Teacup. A miniature cup and saucer exactly matching the teapot of the same name. A black porcelain exterior with and elaborate gold dragon touched with Chinese red on the cup and a scroll design in gold touched with Chinese red on the saucer.

B. The Sri Lanka Teacup. A miniature cup and saucer exactly matching the teapot of the same name. Gold ground with leafy tendrils of a vine as an all over pattern interspersed with buds, flowers and varicolored butterflies all tiny, tiny, tiny. The saucer is done in white ground with the same motifs rimming it and gold borders to carry out the coloring.

C. The Souchong Teacup. A miniature cup and saucer exactly matching the teapot of the same name. An all over Chinese red design on a white ground with color blocks of the Chinese Red all edged in gold. this piece, like the teapot, has a very Victorian feeling.

NOTE: All of the cups and saucers have slightly ruffled rims.

ANOTHER NOTE: In doing some research for the catalog I just ran across an interesting bit of information that I thought might interest our "Tea Collectors". The reason that the inside of most teacups is white is to "facilitate an accurate assessment of the color of the tea" when being brewed. That comes under the heading of Elayne's Trivia.

H. Monsieur D'Artagnan, The Performing Arts Cat Box. This is the book by Dumas with El Catto in the role. His costume is a thing of beauty! The pleated ruff collar, the golden embroidery and the ruffled lace cuffs all done in exacting detail. A dashing Mouse Catcher, I must say. Inside a feather, I wonder why? And a feather for the clasp. The bookbinding is "leather" hand tooled (painted) in gold. I thought about putting this book in La Bibliotheque but he asked if he could be seated with his friends. Retail: Upwards of $211.00. Best Buy at $129.90.

J. The Library of Classics Box. What fine library could be complete without having Charles Dickens in it? Or Canterbury Tales by Chaucer? Well, maybe that last one is stretching it a bit but certainly Victor Hugo and Voltaire should be included. What? You say you don't have those authors on your shelves? Then now is the time to remedy that. Here are four volumes each by one of the aforementioned authors, a magnifying glass is included for those of you who have trouble reading Old English. The books are leather bound, beautifully tooled in gold and a quill pen is the clasp. Inside, the backstamp. Retail: $195.00. Our price: $175.90. Best buy at $109.90.

K1. The Rose Bombé Perfume Chest. We've had this shape several times in perfume boxes and always they are much loved by our audience. This one was so charming that I couldn't pass it by. It is light and gay and romantic looking all at the same time. The pink rose in relief that tops the box repeats the rose in the florals that decorate each side of the box. The feet are lacy gold metal. Open the lid and there is a blue jewel topped flacon sitting in a frame of delicate gold lace that matches the feet. A French bow for the clasp. In our catalog at $248.90.  Best Buy at $99.90.

K2. The Serendipitous Bombé Box. A happy meeting of a marvelous shape, a delightfully gay floral design, a rose, a ladybug and a butterfly; what I call a serendipitous meeting of elements that is perfection. Doesn't it bring a smile to your face? It did to mine is why I bought it. Open the chest and inside a gold filigree frame holds a sapphire blue perfume flacon with jeweled cap. Footed in the same filigree as the frame and the clasp is a French bow. In our catalog at: $256.90. Best Buy at $99.90.
 

M. The Perfume Egg Box. Elegant and understated until it is opened and then it fairly shouts of luxe. A brilliant gold liner surrounds a tiny perfume flacon with an elaborately wrought cap that is set with one pearl. Handsome on a dressing table and a smashing gift for a special someone who collects perfume bottles. In our Catalog at: $234.90. Best Buy at $89.90.

N. The Pin Box. Nothing more than a pretty shape and an elegant design but with either of the other two pieces in this group the contrasting shape becomes important. Inside a tiny gold motif. In our Catalog at: $175.90. Best Buy at $69.90.

O. The Evening Handbag Box. A tiny purse with an elaborate gold motif that took a simple shape and made it important. It has a minute link chain for carrying convenience. Inside a tiny gold motif. In our Catalog at: $192.90. Best Buy at $79.90.

P. The Strawberry Tart Box. The berries from the basket have ended up, some of them, in this Glazed Strawberry Tart. I'll bet it is filled with a vanilla custard or maybe with whipped cream. Yummmm! It looks good enough to eat!! Don't you just love spring when the first strawberries arrive. Here in Southern California all of the farmers markets always have freshly picked strawberries and I never can resist them. They are grown in Camarillo which is just a few miles northwest of Los Angeles, there you can drive for miles and see them growing in the fields.
In the early spring it is fun to drive out and get them at the roadside stands that all of the growers have. If you get there early in the morning the berries have just been picked and you don't know what heaven is if you haven't had a "just picked" strawberry. Our price: $166.90. Best Buy at $59.90.

Q. The Cocker Spaniel Box. A bit older, more sedate, still with her ball close by. Inside, her dog house. Retail: Upwards of $175.00. Our price: In the Catalog at $148.90. Best Buy at $59.90.

T. The Band of Angels Boxes. Three charming tiny (2.5 inches tall) winged figures dressed alike but colored differently, each playing an instrument. Inside a G clef symbol and the clasp a lyre. In the Catalog at $172.90. Our price: Best Buy at $49.90 each.
1. Angel with Accordion.
2. Angel with Viola.
3. Angel with Lyre.

W. The Choir Boy Box. It is Christmas Eve and as we enter the church we hear the choir's young voices sweetly singing Silent Night. Never did it sound lovelier than on this night. Dressed in surplice with high white collars, red undergowns, their music books open, the lovely voices fill the air with heavenly sounds. The open books and the interior of the box display musical notes and staves. The clasp is unimportant to the box.In the Catalog at $159.90.  Best Buy at $49.90.