Large Antique French Glazed Terracotta Walnut Oil Jug or Cruche à Huile

Large antique French glazed terracotta oil jug, believed to be a cruche à huile from the potteries of southwest France. The generous rounded belly is bare, wheel-thrown terracotta in warm tones of honey, apricot and rose, while the narrow neck and shoulder wear a bib of glossy orange lead glaze, finished with a pale yellow rim. A strap handle sweeps from neck to shoulder, a deeply ribbed handle at the front made the heavy jug easy to tip and pour, and four small lug ears circle the shoulder. Price includes shipping!

Jugs like this once held walnut oil, the everyday lamp oil and cooking oil of rural Périgord, Quercy and the Auvergne until kerosene and tinware replaced them in the later 19th century. Generations of use have left the unglazed body with a beautifully mottled, chalky patina. Wonderful on a hearth, a kitchen shelf or the floor of a garden room, on its own or with a few dried branches.

KEY FEATURES

• Maker / Manufactory: Believed to be a regional pottery of southwest France (Quercy or Périgord)
• Material: Terracotta, with an orange lead glaze on the neck and shoulder
• Technique: Wheel-thrown, with a neck handle, a ribbed front pouring handle and four lug ears

DETAILS

• Country: France
• Condition: Very Good
• Year: 19th Century
• Dimensions: H 18" x Diameter 12"