Craft of Provence

Pottery
You will find in many little villages craftsmen who have managed to protect an ancestral know-how combining tradition with character.

The Ceramics of Valauris won their reputation mainly from Picasso passing through the town in 1947. The china of Moustiers owes its good quality products to the fine clay used.


Ceramics of Salernes
Working with clay in Salernes is a story which has been perpetuated since the dawn of time. In Salernes archaelogists discovered bowls 7000 years old, regarded as the oldest in Western Europe.

The "Santons" of Provence (clay figures)
The clay figures of Provence came into being during the French Revolution. They replaced the cribs in the churches closed during that time.The clay figures (known as "Santon" in French and "Santoun" in Provençal, meaning a saint) were mainly representations of biblical characters made of dried, hand painted clay. Later on in the making of the clay figures craftsmen took inspiration from Marcel Pagnol's characters. The town of Aubagne, Marcel Pagnol's native town, has now become the capital of the clay figure.

Scented objects
Pot-pourri, a blend of dried flowers, leaves and fruits serves as decoration and gives a pleasant fragrance in the homes.
Its varied styles, the mixture of colours and fragrances make it a must in home decoration.
As for the lavender sachets they are used for cupboard and wardrobes.

Glassworks of Biot
Before becoming the capital of artisanal glassworks, Biot was originally know for its "jarre" (pots) the making of which dates back to the ancient Greeks.

Bottles, decanters, jugs and small jugs, and glasses are all traditionally mouth-blown.

Olive wood
Most of the objects made with olive wood are kitchen ustensils but also very pretty sculptures with a style marked by the natural shape of the tree.
This style comes from collecting trunks of olive trees which died when in 1956 the devastating frost hit almost the whole of the orchards.