Mid 20th Century French Faience Apothecary Jar - Calendula - 10¼"

A mid-20th-century decorative apothecary jar in glazed ceramic, hand-painted in crisp cobalt blue on a soft white ground. The elegant urn-shaped body rises on a slender pedestal foot and is crowned with a domed lid topped by a striped spherical finial. Delicate scrolling foliage and classical ornament frame the inscription “Calendula,” the Latin and French name for marigold, a plant long valued in traditional pharmacy for its soothing and healing properties. The refined blue-and-white palette and balanced proportions recall Renaissance and early modern pharmacy jars.

Signed under the base with the Léon Warin manufacturer’s mark used in Malicorne from the 1960s. Léon Warin was a French glass engineer active at the turn of the 20th century who specialized in apothecary vessels. Over the course of the 20th century, his manufacture evolved and became established in Malicorne, where it produced high-quality ceramic interpretations of historic apothecary jars, valued for their craftsmanship, decorative richness, and continuity with antique pharmacy wares. The mark, formed from the interlaced initials L and W, is cleverly arranged to resemble an apothecary scale, underscoring the workshop’s enduring connection to pharmaceutical tradition. Graceful and composed, it brings a calm, scholarly note to a kitchen dresser, bathroom shelf, or library bookcase. Use it as a lidded container for tea, spices, cotton pads, or bath salts, display it on its own as a measured focal point, or group it with other apothecary jars for a collected arrangement. Its timeless palette and classical form allow it to sit comfortably in both traditional interiors and contemporary spaces.

Condition and patina consistent with age.
Approx. overall 10¼" high x 6¼" diameter
Approx. overall 26cm high x 16cm diameter