Sculptural French Antique Transport Gourd in Green-Glazed Terracotta - 11¾"

This late 19th-century French transport gourd, likely from the Dordogne, is fashioned in green-glazed earthenware with a substantial globular body that rises gracefully to a short flaring neck and small rolled lip. Crowned by a pair of arched strap handles that bridge the shoulder and balanced by two opposing lug handles set low for threading a cord. The sculptural symmetry of the form, with its rhythmic handles and swelling profile, is distinctive of these utilitarian vessels. A rich glaze in deep bottle and olive greens flows in painterly swirls, leaving the lower portion unglazed in warm buff clay.

Scattered glaze losses, chips to the handles and lip, and surface abrasions contribute to its charming rustic character. Such gourds were used by farmhands and shepherds for carrying water or wine, their multiple handles designed to secure a rope for travel on foot or slung from a pack animal. The unglazed base helped moderate temperature through evaporation, a simple yet effective technology embedded in the region’s 19th-century utilitarian pottery tradition.

As a sculptural accent, this gourd reads beautifully on a kitchen dresser, console, or open shelf alongside Périgord confit pots and cutting boards. Its deep green glaze adds richness to neutral interiors and pairs well with limestone, oak, and patinated metals. Leave it empty to celebrate its form and surface, or place a few dried stems inside for an understated tableau in a mudroom, wine cellar, or garden room.