Mid-20th Century Biot Black-Glazed Terracotta Conscience Water Flask - 20½"

This "conscience" transport jar in black-glazed terracotta is marked with a stamp identifying it as mid-twentieth-century Biot production, circa 1950s to 1960s. Hand-thrown with a small collared neck and rounded lip above a sculptural egg-shaped body, the surface is finished in a deep, glossy manganese glaze. Six applied loop lugs are staggered around the swelling body, originally intended for ropes to secure the flask during transport or suspension. The base rests on a short footring incised with discreet comma-like motifs, a potter’s detail that highlights its handmade character. A few chips, especially around the rim, enhance its vintage character.

The conscience form has long been part of Provençal pottery tradition, produced from at least the seventeenth century in the famous pottery town of Biot and neighboring towns. Practical and robust, these flasks were designed for portability and durability, combining functional ingenuity with the distinctive craftsmanship of the region. In the postwar decades, Biot workshops revived such vernacular shapes, often finished in the dark manganese glazes popular in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Sculptural and quietly dramatic, the jar makes a strong decorative statement in an entry, library, or kitchen, where its inky glaze contrasts beautifully with pale stone or limewashed walls. It can be placed on a console or plinth as a stand-alone accent, or grouped with Anduze pots or faïence vessels to create a layered Provençal vignette. Filled with dried branches or olive cuttings, it brings rustic texture and a grounded Mediterranean note to both contemporary and country interiors.

Condition and patina consistent with age.
Approx. overall 20½" high x 13½" wide x 10¼" deep
Approx. overall 52cm high x 34cm wide x 26cm deep