Large 19th Century French Terracotta Tian Bowl w/ Honey Glaze 16½"

A large 19th-century tian bowl from Julia’s Kitchen at Chanteduc, the beloved heart of Patricia Wells’s Provence home named in honor of her dear friend Julia Child, who gifted Patricia the iconic La Cornue oven installed there. Patricia pauses with a smile as she shows us the piece. “Oh, I love that,” she says fondly. “I use bowls like these as salad bowls.” Used in Julia’s Kitchen at Chanteduc, it carries the easy authority of daily cooking and teaching. Made in southwestern France, the terracotta bowl has a soft honey yellow interior glaze that glows in natural light. The exterior is left raw and satin matte, revealing the clay’s sandy hue. A wide, open rim with a traditional pouring notch shows a graceful kiln drip, while the deep, conical profile feels generous and capable without being cumbersome. Age has given it a honest, work-ready patina, including a timeworn rim chip and small glaze irregularities that speak to long, useful service. Set it to work at the table for abundant garden salads, or let it anchor a kitchen island heaped with tomatoes, lemons, or pears. It would also sit beautifully on a dining console or in a garden room, holding herbs or bulbs, its sunny glaze and storied provenance bringing warmth and purpose to everyday life.