Pair of French antique terracotta resin harvesting pots.

I bought this lovely pair of French 19th century resin harvesting pots from the Aquataine region of France. Resin was harvested in this area which has miles and miles of beautiful pine trees. A tap is placed on the living tree trunk and the pots would be used to catch the tree resin as it is slowly harvested from the tree. This process is repeated regularly on the same tree until the tree is 'tapped out' - hence the saying.

The pots were hand made from terracotta and still show the remains of old resin from their previous life. They each have a beautiful glaze dripped inside in a dark brown colour. They are slightly different colours but they look fabulous together. The pots are not a regular shape, and they have chips and age related wear , but this aging and patina is what makes them so appealing.

They can make lovely flower pots, but they also look gorgeous with pine cones or other pretty pieces spilling out of them to make a lovely decorative display.


height 12 cm, width 14cm or approx. 4.5" x 5.5"