Antique French Resin Pot, Landes Terracotta

Period: 19th century

Size: 4½ inches tall, 5½ inches across the top, 2½ inch base

A pot à résine, the conical terracotta pot that hung on the pine trees of the Landes to collect resin. The form is wide at the mouth and narrow at the foot, unglazed outside and lined inside with a dark reddish-brown glaze that kept the resin from soaking into the wall. The exterior is heavily weathered, blotched dark brown across the upper body from years of resin staining, with pale earth tones below. The rim is rough and uneven with chipping along the edge, and the base carries white mineral deposits. Wear consistent with age and use, sold as found.

Historical Context

The Landes forest in southwest France was planted in maritime pine in the 19th century, and tapping the trees for resin became the region's industry. A résinier cut a strip of bark, fixed a metal gutter below it, and hung a pot like this one underneath to catch the flow. The pots were made by the thousand at local potteries, cheap and unmarked, and most were left in the forest when the trade died out in the mid-20th century.

Styling Ideas

The cone shape and the stained surface do the work. It stands on its own on a shelf or a windowsill, or holds a single stem or a bunch of dried grasses. The narrow foot means it reads lighter than its size.