This large cast iron tub was intended to do the laundry of the entire community. It was filled with boiling water and an ash-based detergent, the very one we are rediscovering today. The drain called the “couladou” made it possible to empty it without spilling it, once the laundry was washed. We can observe two handles on the sides, as if printed with straw patterns. This results from their manufacture. They were made with tied straw, coated with clay and glued to the mold of the tank. As the mold was cooked over the fire, the burnt straw left its imprint on the so-called “strawed” handles for this reason.
![Large cast iron vat for laundry Large cast iron vat for laundry – 16ᵗʰ century – Fonderies du Périgord – [ME076]](https://www.aux-rois-louis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ME076_P1660128-1200x600.jpg)