17th’ French Glaze Stoneware Confit Pottery Terra Cotta Antique Biot Oil Jar
GIANT OIL JAR MADE IN CATALOGNE AND CATALONIA. I WAS PART OF THE DIVE IN THE PORT OF MARSEILLE THAT FOUND SEVERAL OF THESE GIANT JARS. THEY WERE USED FOR TRANSPORT/COMMERCE AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. OF COURSE, THE JARS THAT ARE CENTURIES OLDER THAN THESE TWO ARE IN REGIONAL MUSEUM THROUGHOUT FRANCE AND SPAIN. IF YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERT OF THIS POTERIE, IT CAN BE CONFUSING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRENCH CATALOGNE JAR AND THE SPANISH CATALONIA JAR. THEY ARE SIMILAR AS THIS LAND WAS ONCE ONE COUNTRY. THE SPANISH JARS WERE MADE IN BISBAL AND WERE OF INFERIOR NATURE. NOT MADE TO LAST AND WITH HANDLES TO THE RIM. THE FRENCH JAR WAS LARGER WITH 3-4 HANDLES REACHING BELOW THE RIM. THE SPANISH WERE MADE WITHOUT ANY GLAZE.. FRENCH JARS HAD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SLIPPERY GLAZE AT THE RIM AND JUST BELOW TO KEEP VERMIN FROM GETTING NEAR THE PRODUCT BEING KEPT. THESE JARS WERE USED THROUGH THE REGION FOR TRANSPORTING ORDERS, COMMERCE, AND OTHER WAYS OF LIFE. MANY WERE BROKEN FROM THE ROUGH AND VERY SHALLOW AREAS OF THIS SEA. INCREDIBLY SHARP REEFS WERE DANGEROUS. AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR COULD NAVIGATE THE WATER BY EXPERIENCE. THESE TWO WERE A PAIR FOUND IN PERFECT CONDITION IAS THEY WERE BURIED IN THE SAND WITH OTHERS THAT HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR CENTURIES. A PAIR IS AN AMAZING FIND. 33 INCHES THAT TAPERS AS THE POTTERY DESCENDS TOWARDS ITS BOTTOM. 33 INCHES AND ALMOST AS FAT IN THE CENTER! I WILL HELP FACILITATE THE TRANSPORT FROM THIS END. Most were outside throughout the year and it wore down the piece. Some sat in more protected areas and had minimal wear. This is the second smallest and is a beautiful planter/vase. The green glaze is exquisite and the form is mid 19thC. This exact piece can be found in the 1859 local catalogue for poteries of Castelnaudary. It is a scooch over 10 inches and the solid weight ws indded added on purpose as the vases would be eposed to the elements.
Posted in 17th
Tagged: 17th | antique | biot | confit | cotta | french | glaze | pottery | stoneware | terra