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The history of earthenware

Exceptional know-how

Since the Middle Ages, Moustiers has been producing ceramics. At that time, terracotta and glazed earthenware objects were made for everyday use. The history of earthenware in Moustiers really begins in the seventeenth century, when Pierre Clérissy, a potter from the village, learned the secret of white enamel from an Italian monk, Lozzaro Porri. Quickly, workshops were opened, the decorations were perfected and Moustiers became a mecca of French earthenware.

Indeed, following many wars, the Sun King ordered that gold and silver dishes be melted down to replenish the royal treasury. Moustiers earthenware then gained its place in all the courts of Europe and adorned the most beautiful aristocratic tables. The quality of the enamels, the purity of the whites and the richness of the decorations make the village famous. In the eighteenth century, production diversified and craftsmen developed sumptuous decorations inspired by the engravings of the time.

The revival of a tradition

Following the appearance of porcelain and English earthenware, earthenware unfortunately experienced a period of decline in the nineteenth century. The tradition was reborn in the twentieth century with the help of enthusiasts who revived production in accordance with ancient methods. In 1926, Marcel Provence relit an oven in order to restore the village’s image as a
a great city of earthenware throughout the world. It is thanks to him that even today, Moustiers has seven workshops that perpetuate and renew this art.

Moustiers earthenware symbolises elegance, finesse and creativity. It embodies a precious heritage, passed down from generation to generation.

The manufacturing stages

The manufacture of Moustiers earthenware follows a precise artisanal process, inherited from ancestral know-how. It all starts with the shaping of the earthenware, modelled by hand on the wheel, cast in moulds or stamped. After drying, the pieces undergo a first firing at more than 1,000 °C, giving rise to the “biscuit”. Then comes glazing, which gives earthenware its white and shiny appearance. The decorations are then painted by hand, directly on the raw enamel, with great precision. A second firing at nearly 980 °C definitively fixes the colours and reveals the brilliance of each piece. This meticulous process makes each creation a unique object, to be discovered in the workshops and shops of Moustiers.

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