Classic French Antique Biot Olive Oil Jars date back to the 16th century. From 1550 to the late 19th century 510 potters have been identified who passed their skills from generation to generation. The pots are hand thrown in terra cotta with a glazed rim and interior. They were buried in the ground up to the neck, and when ground insects tried to access the wood or slate rim of the jar. they would slip down the glazed enamel.
Biot Jars were the first olive oil jars to be shipped throughout the Mediterranean. The French made olive oil before the Italians, and the Italians were their best customers. The ships sailed from Antibes under the protection of the Knights of Malta and sailed as far away as the Caribbean.
An OLIVE SHAPE indicates an authentic Biot Jar made before the 1800s and they are often stamped by either the potter or the recipient’s personal name for their yearly delivery.