This oil barrel comes from the renowned pottery center of La Chapelle-des-Pots, located in the former province of Charentes, known as Saintonge. Exclusively in Saintonge, from the Middle Ages onward, these barrel-shaped potteries were crafted using the beautiful local clay, reserving walnut oil for the lighting of each household.

Glazed Terracotta Oil Barrel – 19th Century – Saintonge – [PA080]

This walnut oil barrel originates from the famous La Chapelle-des-Pots pottery center in the ancient province of Charentes, known as Saintonge. Exclusively crafted in Saintonge from the Middle Ages onward, these barrel-shaped potteries reserved walnut oil for household lighting, using the beautiful local clay.

Two walnut oil jugs, fuel used in the 18th century for lighting. The mélard on the left is in raw white clay on which concretions come from the interior. The mélard on the left benefited from a water-green glaze which made it waterproof. Its two handles allow it to be hung on a rope to be able to lean it and thus facilitate the flow of oil.

Mélard in White Clay and Suspended Mélard – 18th century – Cantal – [PA073] [PA074]

If one has a prehistoric look with these brown concretions that seem to emerge from the depths of time, the other wears, like armor, a beautiful green glaze that has pushed back all porosity. Both fulfilled in the farms of Cantal, the noble mission of saving the precious walnut oil, the only source of lighting in the 18th century. They are called mélards.

Imperial oil jug – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA072]

Imperial oil jug – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA072]

Among the jewels of the salesroom gallery Aux-Rois-Louis, emerges this astonishing pottery which immediately evokes a beauty in an evening dress. She advances, as if towards an opera box, dressed in her sequined black evening dress and sporting on her throat her prettiest long necklace composed of pearls in the shape of flowers, of which…

Terracotta ham pot – 19th century – Charente – [PA067]

Terracotta Jambonnière – 19th century – Charente – [PA067]

Terracotta ham pot – 19th century – Charente – [PA067] THE FLOWER BOX FOR FLOWERS THE KITCHEN STOVE FOR FOOD THE JAMBONNIERE FOR… HAMS! Let’s rediscover a made-to-measure utensil born of peasant common sense and the talent of the potters of Sainte-Eutrope. To make a success of your homemade raw ham, it’s both simple and…

Three terracotta melards – orange, green and yellow – 19th century – Puy-de-Dôme – [PA064 PA065 PA066]

Three terracotta melards – orange, green and yellow – 19th century – Puy-de-Dôme – [PA064 PA065 PA066]

PUY-DE-DÔME: LAND OF POTTERY AND VOLCANOES SINCE THE NIGHT OF TIMES It is on the ground of a thousand-year-old tradition that these three beautiful melards of varying proportions and colors were created. It should indeed be remembered that in the center of Auvergne, at the beginning of the Christian era, the black earths of the…

Two oil jugs - late 18th century early 19th century - Lot Valley, Quercy - [PA062] [PA063]

Two oil jugs – late 18th century early 19th century – Lot Valley, Quercy – [PA062] [PA063]

The Aux-Rois-Louis sales gallery offers a vast collection of ancient pottery from Aquitaine, Auvergne and Midi-Pyrénées. Two oil jugs – late 18th century early 19th century – Lot Valley, Quercy We recognize in the roundness of these jugs an exuberant and sensual inspiration specific to the ancient Quercy potters’ centers. Several clues seem to indicate…

Three water jugs - 19ᵗʰ century - Périgord

Three water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [PA033] [PA034] [PA035]

Three water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord These three water jugs come from the pottery center of Beauronne-Douzillac, which is easily recognized by the nature of the clay used: a white clay, loaded with kaolin. Most of the production of this renowned center has a green glaze, like the pottery in the background [PA035],…