Today in NZ it is June 9th – Natalie Portman’s birthday! To celebrate her role as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars Saga, I want to highlight a particularly special Queen Amidala item in my collection – the Limoges Queen Amidala porcelain trinket box. A rare piece from The Phantom Menace era, it is one of my most prized Star Wars collectibles.

It is hard to find much verified information about this rare piece. During my research, I found that it was available from FAO Schwarz in the United States, around the release of The Phantom Menace – 1999 or possibly 2000. There was also a Limoges Yoda porcelain trinket box available at the same time, though I do not own that piece.

Limoges is the name given to porcelain items made by manufacturers in and around the city of Limoges, France. This particular item features a logo bearing the text ‘Atelier de Limoges’ and ‘Les Ateliers de Limoges’ – I am uncertain if this seal is specific to the manufacturer of this Queen Amidala item or a general symbol used by manufacturers in the city of Limoges (like the way the term ‘champagne’ is used for sparkling wine made in the region of Champagne, France).

The packaging box –

My Limoges trinket box came with a blue cardboard box, with a black and metallic gold seal on the top lid that features the printed logo/seal of Atelier de Limoges – Limoges, France. The bottom of the box has the original barcode price sticker from FAO Schwarz – US$225.00.

The Certificate Of Authenticity –

Inside the box there was also a small certificate of authenticity, with information regarding the history of Limoges porcelain trinket boxes, and how to care for the item. This appears to be a generic card supplied by the manufacturer with all their items, as there is no mention of Lucasfilm or Star Wars on it like we would expect today.

My particular box was filled with blue tissue paper, with the Queen Amidala trinket box inside some bubble wrap – I am unable to confirm if this interior packaging is the original, or whether there was anything additional like polystyrene etc. that had been discarded some time ago by the original owner.

I am especially happy to have the original box for my item, and it is in such good condition as well!

I acquired this piece a few years ago now, and it stills looks as brilliant as it did the day it arrived in the mail. It is absolutely stunning in person – the vibrant colours, the glossy finish, and of course, the fine hand painted details. After spending a few years hunting for it, it was so exciting when it finally arrived in the mail, just as beautiful as I dreamed it would be.

The porcelain trinket box measures approximately 9cm tall (3.5″) and 5cm across at the base (2″) – standing slightly shorter than a standard Star Wars 3.75″ action figure.

Queen Amidala is depicted here in her Throne Room gown as seen in The Phantom Menace. The costume details are replicated here so well in miniature form, from her iconic headdress to her vibrant red gown with oval lights – which of course are just painted here, they don’t light up.

For a small hand painted porcelain figure, it still amazes me at the level of detail – especially around the face and headdress. The iconic white and red makeup, the gold details of the headdress, it’s all here in tiny hand painted form.

The gold pattern down the front of Queen Amidala’s dress here is not completely accurate to the original costume design – but I am impressed with how much detail is included here for a hand painted design.

The underside of the trinket box is clean white porcelain, with the seal/logo of ATELIER DE LIMOGES FRANCE’. There is some hand painted text in French – ‘Peint main’ which translates to ‘Hand painted’ – and the signature of the artist, which I think reads A.F. in script/cursive handwriting. I love the hand painted text for the Lucasfilm copyright mark – it really adds to the unique handmade nature of the item.

When viewing the underside of the trinket box, you can see the clasp is a little off center in relation to the hinge – to be honest I don’t know if this is intentional or not. The clasp is metal, and works via tension, which holds the box closed very well. I find it a little tricky to open my particular box, but I don’t mind – I don’t open it very often at all, and would rather it be tight than loose.

The gold-toned metal bands run around both opening edges of the trinket box section. The metal has a slight antique finish – though I am unsure if this is the original finish or it has weathered a little over time.

I love the use of the Fleur-de-lis symbol for the clasp here. The Star Wars royal Naboo symbol takes inspiration from this classic French symbol, so I love to see the reference used here so clearly on an item made in France.

Once opened, you can see inside the trinket box. The Queen Amidala figure on the top is hollow, and is formed as one piece with the lid, not a separate figure placed on top. The inside has a glossy white porcelain finish.

The dish/tray section of the trinket box is fairly flat, so it won’t hold much beyond a piece or two of small jewellery, like a ring or necklace – though of course I do not use this as an actual box for storage.

On the inside of the lower portion of the box, there is a hand painted red Naboo symbol, slightly above centre. Across the symbol, the text ‘QUEEN AMIDALA’ is hand painted in black.

It took me a few years of searching to acquire this piece – and now it is one of my most treasured items in my Star Wars collection. The unique hand painted nature, combined with the mysterious history, really make it special.

If you have any further information about this item, I would love to hear from you! Did you see it for sale at FAO Schwarz in store or in a catalogue, or perhaps even bought it yourself back in the day? Do you know when exactly it was released, how many were made, or where they made to order? Was the Limoges Yoda trinket box made in similar quantities – or is one rarer than the other? I would love to know more about my beautiful Limoges Queen Amidala porcelain trinket box.

May the Force be with you!

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Today’s unboxing and review features N-1 Starfighter jewelry! I like to collect Star Wars jewelry, I wear it all the time, so I’m always looking out for new and fun designs to add to my collection. These Naboo Starfighter designs are just gorgeous, I knew I had to have them!

Check out my unboxing video –

I have quite a pieces of Star Wars jewelry from Couture Kingdom, which I love, so I keep an eye on their new releases. As part of a new collection inspired by The Mandalorian, they just released a necklace and matching stud earrings featuring the N-1 Starfighter. I love the N-1 Starfighter, but it doesn’t show up in merchandise much, especially jewelry. Star Wars ships show up a lot in jewelry designs, especially the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters, and X-Wing Fighters, but not much else featuring the other cool starships. So of course I had to get these!

• Shop the Star Wars N-1 Starfighter jewelry at Couture Kingdom

The necklace description from the Couture Kingdom website –

Get ready to take your love for Star Wars to new heights with the Couture Kingdom N-1 Starfighter Necklace!

Crafted with precision and care, this stunning necklace features a beautifully detailed replica of the iconic N-1 Starfighter from the Star Wars franchise The Mandalorian. With its intricate detailing and impeccable design, this necklace is a must-have for any Star Wars fan.

Made with high-quality sterling silver, this necklace is both durable and beautiful. The adjustable chain design makes it easy to find the perfect fit, while the sleek and modern design adds a touch of style and sophistication to any outfit.

The website notes that this jewelry is made from Sterling Silver 925, with rhodium or14k yellow gold overlay – so you can choose from either a silver-tone rhodium finish or yellow gold finish. I had a hard time deciding which version I liked – Din Djarin’s N-1 Starfighter in The Mandalorian has a silver-tone finish, but the N-1 Starfighters in The Phantom Menace are yellow. In the end, I decided to get the yellow gold versions first, as there is just not as much prequel-themed jewelry available, and I’m sure I’ll be back soon to get the silver-toned versions as well!

First up, a quick note – my order qualified for free shipping, which is always nice. To my surprise, my order arrived in less than 24 hours from Australia! I know New Zealand is pretty close to Australia, but even domestic shipping tends to take a few days, so I was expecting to wait at least a week for these to arrive. It was so exciting to get up the next day, check the mail, and open up my brand new Star Wars jewelry.

These designs are gorgeous! I’m so glad I went with the yellow gold – it is such a beautiful finish, accented with black antiquing to really highlight the details.

Of course I wanted the set, but if I could only pick one, the necklace would be my favourite. The necklace is just so beautiful, and a lovely size for everyday wear. The pendant reads really well as a Naboo Starfighter, Star Wars fans can instantly recognise it.

The pendant is part of the chain, attached at two points, rather than hanging off the chain with a singular ring attachment. I quite like this style of necklace – I find it doesn’t swing around as much when wearing, and it stops the pendant from flipping over to the reverse side, which is often blank (the back of this pendant is flat and smooth, so it sits comfortably against the skin).

The website notes the necklace is 55cm, with a pendant length of 22mm.

The stud earrings are a lovely size – large enough to have good design detail, but not too big as to be uncomfortable to wear. They have a good post length, and classic ‘butterfly’ style backings, so they should stay put well when wearing. Personally, my ears get irritated with plastic backings, so I’m always happy to see earrings with metal butterfly backings – I know I can wear those all day without any issues.

I am so happy to add these beautiful N-1 Starfighter pieces to my Star Wars jewelry collection. While I know these are part of The Mandalorian collection and aren’t technically from The Phantom Menace, I am always excited to see Naboo-inspired anything these days! Also, Padme’ Amidala is flying a N-1 Starfighter when she arrives on Coruscant at the beginning of Attack Of The Clones, and I love anything and everything Padme’ related. I know these are going to be wearing these a lot!

May the Force be with you!

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Now this is podracing! The latest addition to our Micro Galaxy Squadron collection is the Boonta Eve Battle Pack, which includes two podracer vehicles.

This battle pack is marked as ‘series 1’ but does not have a ‘launch edition’ foil sticker. It is currently available in-store at branches of The Warehouse in New Zealand for a retail price of NZ$45.00 each (approximately US$28.47 at time of writing).

The assortment number for this battle pack is SWJ0093 112522 GC

Watch our full unboxing video below –

This Battle Pack includes two vehicles, that at this time are not available individually – Anakin Skyalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer, as seen in The Phantom Menace. Each vehicle also includes a small figure that fits into the cockpit.

Each vehicle comes with a clear plastic stand that attaches to the podracing engines, so they can be displayed in a more correct hovering style, rather than just sitting on the ground. I rather wish that all vehicles in this range came with a clear stand, to have options for display (especially the Jedi Starfighter with hyperdrive ring). The vehicles snap onto the stands nice and securely, but are also removable if you prefer to display the vehicles without them (perhaps in a diorama setup).

The paint applications are colourful and tidy, with minimal weathering applied in appropriate areas. There is some minor articulation in the connectors between the engines and the cockpits, and the energy beam connectors are sculpted nicely.

Sebulba’s podracer –

Anakin’s podracer –

Overall, I think this is a fantastic set and a fine addition to our Micro Galaxy Squadron collection. The figures fit in the vehicles well, and the display stands give a more accurate ‘hovering’ presentation when on display.

Will you be adding this set to your collection? What vehicles do you hope to see in future waves of the Micro Galaxy Squadron line?

May the Force be with you!

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Today, May 19th, marks the 20th anniversary of theatrical release of The Phantom Menace in the United States (in New Zealand, it actually came out in cinemas a little later, on June 10th).

One of our most prominent Episode 1 collectibles is this life-size Darth Maul statue, which we have on display in an alcove that faces our front door… so that he greets all guests that come to our house.

The Darth Maul statues were originally prizes in a competition run in New Zealand at KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, but in addition to those that were given to competition winners, a large number that were displayed at restaurants found their way into the hands of collectors. I managed to find this one for a very good price at a local second-hand store in 2000. You can read more about the Pepsi/KFC Episode 1 promotion in New Zealand on the SWNZ, Star Wars New Zealand website.

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