Large 19th Century French Terracotta Tian Bowl w/ Yellow Glaze - 15"

A large 19th-century tian from southwestern France, this earthenware bowl lived at the heart of Julia’s Kitchen at Chanteduc, Patricia Wells’s Provençal home. The kitchen was affectionately named after Patricia’s dear friend Julia Child, who gave Patricia her La Cornue oven, installed there for daily cooking and teaching. With clear provenance to Chanteduc, it embodies the generous, useful beauty that defines Patricia’s table and her life between Paris and Provence. Wheel-thrown terracotta with a pale straw interior glaze, the tian shows concentric potter’s rings, gentle glaze drips along the rim, and a softly matte exterior shaped by years of honest use. Its wide everted rim and deep well give visual breadth and an easy, working presence. Wear is consistent with age, with small rim losses and scattered glaze flake, all stable and pleasing as patina. “I use bowls like these as salad bowls,” Patricia explains, a reminder of homegrown greens, garden lunches, and the convivial rhythm of her classes. Set it to work for abundant salads, heaped fruit on a farmhouse table, or as a functional accent on open shelves in a busy kitchen. The tian’s utility and character make it a natural companion to everyday cooking, an object that invites use while quietly telling the story of Chanteduc and a culinary life well lived.