Unlike the strictly decorative vases d'Anduze we discussed in the previous post (Part 1) that served no real purpose during the 17th and 18th centuries except to bring joy and beauty to the homes and gardens of those lucky enough to afford them, the famous earthenware jarres de Biot did in fact serve a utilitarian purpose. Before the beautiful earthenware jarres de Biot  became popular as jarres pour le jardin, they were originally used to store grains and  flour and were later used to preserve and transport olive oil.

Jarres de Biot,  Cote d'Azur Villa

Biot jarres, named after the fortified medieval hilltop village of Biot in Provence, have been handmade without a mold or wheel using the ancient technique of rope thrown pottery since the 16th century. Due to the quality of the clay deposits and stone ovens in Biot, it became the largest producer of jars in the Mediterranean — with hundreds of thousands of the utilitarian jars being shipped throughout the Mediterranean between the 16th and 20th century. It's also said that over 500 potters have been identified since the first Biot jar was made.

Today, potters in this coastal village famous for its ceramics and pottery,  continue the tradition of coiling rope around a wood frame to shape the pot. They then use a mixture of red and gray clay to achieve the desired color and apply it by hand onto the rope. Once the clay begins to dry and the shape sets, the potters carefully unwind the rope and remove the wood frame, leaving a wonderfully textured pattern on the inside of the jar.