Antique pottery – Aux-Rois-Louis

Our collection of antique pottery is constantly changing and some of the items shown on this site or in our brochures may already have been sold. Please feel free to contact us.

An exceptional choice of antique pottery

In the 18ᵗʰ Century, from the majestic cathedral and the humble home to the lighting on the street, the main source of energy was walnut oil. It was used to fuel lamps, hence the importance of oil jug storage capacity. Their manufacture was subject to one-upmanship between potters who competed for technical talent, originality and trademark in the production of practical yet decorative earthenware.

Today, oil jugs are part of our cultural heritage and are testimony to a craft that has completely died out.

From the mid 19ᵗʰ Century, due to the import of lighting fuel and the discovery of tin, tin and zinc pitchers replaced the clay jug, which fell into disuse. The jugs became obsolete but were rediscovered only after the Second World War. Since then they have been considered antiques.
In addition to oil jugs, Aux Rois Louis Gallery displays a selection of beautiful kitchen utensils in earthenware from the 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ Century.

Water jugs, colanders, vinegar, pitchers, water bottles and kegs evoke a lifestyle and know-how of the best potters of Quercy, Auvergne and Périgord.

Below you can see a few samples of our vast collection of old pottery. Please do not hesitate to consult us.

This globular mélard with pinched spout, an intermediary size between the large mélard and the oil jug, was meant to be suspended. Its base is rounded for this purpose, to ensure the attachment of a rope without sharp angles. The rope passing under the bottom was held from bottom to top against the pottery's belly by another transverse rope passing under the specially flared neck. The whole was suspended from a beam resembling a joist. This mélard is covered with a green glaze and a lead cover, two finishes intended to provide it with brilliance and waterproofing. Its decoration consists of finger-molded bands. The facade is adorned with a cross motif placed under the pinched spout. This reduced spout allowed for a faster, smoother flow.

Globular Melard with Spout – 18th Century – Puy de Dôme – [PA088]

Presenting a splendid mélard originating from an Auvergne pottery centre in the 18th century. It was suspended in a pantry for the convenient pouring of precious walnut oil, commonly used for lighting during that era.

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.

Petrified Oil Jar – 19th Century – Saintonge / Charente – [PA077]

Statufied and adorned with an emerald scarf, its gentle belly fears no ravages of time. On the contrary, it enhances it, turning this Charente pottery into a star jar, or dare I say, an authentic oil of the upscale districts.

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 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 that these two jugs come from the same workshop and probably from the same hand. The…

Two water jugs – 19th century – Lot Valley – [PA058] [PA059]

Two water jugs – 19th century – Lot Valley Also called head jugs, because they were carried on the head by women who went to fetch water, these two water jugs were turned in the Lot Valley in the 19th century. Imagine women fetching water from the village well or fountain, to meet all the…

Two water jugs – 19th century – Les Landes – [PA060] [PA061]

Two water jugs – 19th century – Les Landes [PA060] Of Spanish Basque inspiration, with a washer at the top of the spout to facilitate its grip, this jug has, around the top opening, an orange-colored glazed bib. [PA061] This head jug, also from the pottery center of Castandet in the Landes, presents a glazed…

Two oil jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord – [PA053] [PA054]

Two oil jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Périgord Both from the famous pottery center of Beauregard-de-Terrasson, these two oil jugs have well-known distinctive signs. The first, on the left in the overall photo, presents a wine-colored glaze obtained thanks to manganese oxide, manganese being a natural metal extracted from Perigord soil since prehistoric times. The…

Overall, the vertical bands accentuate the pot-bellied aspect of this beautiful pottery.

Oil jug – Late 18ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA052]

Oil jug – Late 18ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA052] Thanks to its manganese-based glaze, this late 18ᵗʰ century oil jug has a pretty chocolate hue. Its pinched trefoil spout which marks its membership in the famous Quercy pottery is in perfect condition.

The zoomorphic-inspired cover is therefore shaped like a hare.

Terrine in the shape of a hare in glazed earthenware – 19ᵗʰ century – South West – [PA050]

Terrine in the shape of a hare in glazed earthenware – 19ᵗʰ century – South West – [PA050] Also called “gîte à pâté”, this zoomorphic-inspired terrine was used both for cooking and for presenting the famous hare pâté on a well-appointed table. The originality of this glazed terrine also lies in the alternation of star…

Oil jar – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA044]

Oil jar – 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy – [PA044] This oil jar from Quercy, made of red clay, has the particularity of its trefoil pinched spout. The body is adorned with oblique bands, drawn with a decorating wheel.

Two water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Midi-Pyrénées [PA036] [PA037]

Two water jugs – 19ᵗʰ century – Midi-Pyrénées Carried on the heads of women who went to fetch water from the village well or fountain, these jugs are called “head jugs”. In order to make the task less painful and less perilous, these water carriers made a straw wreath wrapped in fabric which they placed…

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],…

Oil jug – 19ᵗʰ century – Beauregard de Terrasson [PA014]

This oil jug has a set of distinctive signs which inevitably links it to the famous pottery center of Beauregard de Terrasson in Périgord. Observe rather: it was turned in a sandstone clay, covered with a glaze of tint “wine lees” obtained thanks to the local manganese and its beak presents a bulbous form, also…

Oil jug – 18ᵗʰ century – Quercy [PA013]

This elegant oil jar, turned in the 18ᵗʰ century, is distinguished by its slender upward handle, its pinched spout, its gray brown glaze made with manganese and its decoration of knurled strips arranged diagonally. So many particular signs in this region of production, the Quercy, which make us perceive the inventiveness marked with pleasure of…

Pitcher – 19ᵗʰ century – Auvergne [PA009]

Pitcher – 19ᵗʰ century – Auvergne Dimensions: height 37 cm. Price: on demand. Reference number: PA009

Oil jar – 18ᵗʰ century – Auvergne [PA008]

Dimensions: height 39 cm. Reference number: PA008

Confit pot – 19ᵗʰ century – Gers [PA016]

Height 24 cm. Possibilité de créer des séries.

Oil jar – Early 19ᵗʰ century – Quercy [PA015]

Hauteur 30 cm.

Oil jar – 19ᵗʰ century – Auvergne [PA007]

Hauteur 29 cm.