Early 20th Century French Terracotta Butter Bell w/ Carved Dome Lid

This early 20th-century terracotta butter bell was produced in Provence and is designed for the preservation of butter through natural cooling. The dome-shaped lid is hand-carved with a radiating geometric pattern and features a sculpted knob flanked by two ventilation holes. The base is simple and flat-rimmed, forming a shallow dish to hold water beneath the butter chamber. Butter bells of this type function by evaporation. When water is added to the lower dish and the lid placed over butter inside a smaller glass bowl (now missing), the slow release of moisture through the lid creates a mild cooling effect, stabilizing temperature and slowing oxidation. This method was commonly used in rural southern France before the advent of refrigeration.

This form is documented in Poteries d’eaux, pages 112–113 (Amouric et al., 2008), which presents similar examples from Marseille and Vallauris workshops around 1900. The terracotta surface has developed a soft patina with traces of handling and storage but remains in excellent structural condition. A well-preserved example of practical Provençal pottery with strong ties to regional food traditions.