Antique Greek Grains or Olive Oil Pot, 19th Century

Vessels such as this pair of large olive oil jars have been used for centuries throughout Greece and can still be found there today. Our pair, which dates to the 1800s, are known as koroniotiko pots, as they originated in the Peloponnese town of Koroni/Corone. The bulbous bodies have thick ridges that culminate just beneath the short necks, giving the functional pots (used to keep olive oil fresh) aesthetic individuality. Both pots have a striated coloration, although to different degrees, of ochre, cream, white, and brown over the traditional terra cotta orange. Our charming pair of Greek olive oil...

Vivid colors, hand-painted in the Renaissance style, enhance this large maiolica pot from the 1800’s. Maiolica is tin-glazed pottery from Italy that has been decorated over a white background. This pot is considered an istoriato, which is to say that the pot has been decorated with figures, rather than strictly geometric patterns or floral designs. The maiolica does incorporate floral and foliate motifs, with white flowers that have yellow centers surrounded by blue rings. There are also yellow flowers that are depicted in various stages of nyctinasty (the closing of flowers during the night). The flora is all connected by a series of green and yellow curled leaves. Behind the vegetation is a dark blue background. There are two portraits inside large yellow cartouches that are painted in the middle of the pot. The first is a bearded man, dressed in a light brown tunic...

This stunning lidded urn might have once been found in a 19th century Italian apothecary. The front of the shaped urn body has the hand-painted phrase “C. Violaru”, which is the heavily abbreviated form of the Latin word for violet (violaceum). Up until the mid-1700’s, apothecaries would make syrups from violets and use it to treat kidney ailments. Above the Latin wording is a whimsical musical scene with a man blowing a horn leading a couple who is holding hands over rocky terrain lined with shrubbery. A large house and trees can be seen behind the trio with a pair of mountains in the distance. On the opposite side of the urn is a floral display with a bird perched on a rock. Beneath the bird is a geometric design, possibly a stylized sun with radiating beams of light. Both scenes are segmented by a pair of thin quarter round moldings that encircle the entire vase. Other hand-painted motifs include floral and foliate margents, geometric patterns, and Vitruvian waves that are infilled with horizontal fluting. The sides of the urn have a fish-scale background beneath two mustachioed mascarons. Both men have been styled in grotesque fashion, with a pair of spiraled horns emanating from their heads. In between the horns is a looping handle that is affixed to the body in similar tight spirals. The domed lid has three scrolled arms that merge in a geometric finial. The base color of the urn is white, with illustrations in a monochromatic cobalt oxide blue, reminiscent of Delft blue pottery...

This colorful antique Italian Majolica vase dates to the 1800s. This type of pottery was first produced during the Italian Renaissance, and it often depicted historical and mythologi...

Hand-painted in France in the 1800’s, this beautiful barbotine cylinder vase features a lovely display of paper thin flowers made from kaolin clay. These gros relief flowers...

A stunning example of gros relief barbotine, this vase has large, paper thin kaolin clay flowers affixed to the hand-painted body. From the studio of Edoua...

Two early 20th-century Bulgarian terracotta olive oil pots. The elongated, almond-like shape is crowned with two slim handles and a pellucid wash of gre...

A French terracotta olive oil jar from the 19th century, with wonderful glazes of vibrant orange and detailed cream and black decorations of fluid lines and surrounding foliate desig...

Antique Terracotta Amphora olive oil pot. This European terracotta amphora was probably used for the storage and transport of olive oil. The double ...

A large 19th century French hammered copper stock pot with tight fitting riveted handled lid. Hand-wrought iron loop to hang the pot over a fire. Beautiful w...

A French terracotta olive oil jar from the early 19th century, with wonderful glazes of vibrant orange and energetic black splashes that surround the entire piece. Hand-crafted in Fr...

A fine pair of antique Meissen cachepots. With baluster form bodies, shell handles, raised shell & cattail decoration to the sides, and handpainted fl...