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The Cevennes/Anduze (Gard)
Tucked into the gravelly foothills of the Cévennes mountains,
the town of Anduze has been making pottery since the seventeenth
century. The classically shaped vase d'Anduze, an urnlike
planter said to have been inspired by a Medici vase, has become
synonomous with Languedoc and Provence, where nary a stylish
villa may be spotted without one. The Italian influence is
visible in the form and regal ornamentations: draped garland
and badgelike insignias grace the vases with enough pomp to
befit a Roman emperor. Characteristic streaks of honey yellow,
olive green, and manganese brown smoulder beneath the surface
of their high-gloss glazes. The unusual color scheme is not
to everyone's liking, but the traditional shape in anything
other than these colors is not considered a true Anduze vase.
Situated at Tornac just outside of Anduze, La Poterie
de la Madeleine (tel.: 04.66.61.63.44; fax: 04.66.61.87.29;
www.poterie.com) deviates a bit from la tradition by
offering vases of less typical color combinations, primarily
in solids of Mediterranean blues and greens and even a few
chalky whites and sandy pinks, along with a classically glazed
collection of vases. Les Enfants de Boisset (tel.:
04.66.61.80.86; fax:04.66.60.57.62) also clearly indicated
once in Anduze, is said to be the oldest poterie, and
unquestionably the one that continues to work in the most
artisanal fashion (most of the clay comes from a quarry out
back). Items range in size from about one foot to well over
three feet high. There's generally a good stock of smaller
pieces, but most larger pieces must be ordered up to a year
ahead. Customers rarely stop and shop and orders are usually
planned well in advance just like a good garden. Both companies
readily handle shipping, which explains why it's not unusual
to encounter these distinguished pieces from Singapore to
Monterey. In addition to the classic Anduze vases, more ordinary
yet highly decorative vases sell in other classic Provençal
and Mediterranean forms; the most common is the jarre à
l'huile, or olive oil jar, traditionally in terra-cotta
copiously coated with a thick drizzle of emerald-green or
mustard-yellow glaze. Keep in mind that most of this pottery
sells at selective shops throughout the region. Not surprisingly,
the most prized pieces are the older ones, exorbitantly priced
at antique shops from Avignon to Paris to Georgetown---and
beyond!
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