The History of the Vase of Anduze: From Legend to Tradition
Ancestral know-how of the Cévennes Gate
To know everything about the Vase d’Anduze, this typically Cévennes pottery has crossed history and remains a pledge of quality and authenticity. Learn to recognize it and identify the elements that make it up.
From legend to tradition
Anduze has been recognized since the Middle Ages as an important center of pottery production, in crockery of all kinds, tiles, drainpipes, and oil jars. It was in the seventeenth century that the famous Vase d’Anduze was born, intended to accommodate orange and lemon trees.
A Vase Rooted in Medieval Craftsmanship
This centuries-old tradition has forged a real myth. According to legend, this horticultural vase would be contemporary with Henry IV (1610) and would have been invented by a potter from Anduze inspired by Italian Medici-style vases.
A Myth Linked to Henry IV
Another legend claims that Vases from Anduze adorned the gardens of Versailles during the time of the Sun King. Although the accounts of the king’s household do not mention direct orders to Anduze, archaeological shards found on site indicate their presence in the great Parisian gardens.
19th-Century Revival and Regional Identity
Throughout the nineteenth century, the activity is flourishing and many potters in the region of Anduze begin to produce garden vases. It is even a specialty that distinguishes them from other Languedoc productions.