L’atelier Barbotine:

a journey to the land of the savoir-faire of pottery

In Aubagne, a historic town linked to pottery and ceramics, Barbotine is one of the workshops that continues the unique savoir-faire of working with clay. Discover their collection with the Provence brand, through a dessert plate service which celebrates the emblems of the South of France.

A collection of pottery which pays hommage to Provencal nature

In association with the Provence brand, the Barbotine has created a pretty service of 6 dessert plates. Each plate is decorated with an illustration dreamed up by the artist Alice Van de Walle and reproduced by hand according to the age-old technique of nail engraving, an authentic method which makes each plate unique. As a homage to Provence, the illustrations show the key elements of the nature of the South of France: the sun, the olive tree, the cicada, the sprig of lavender, wild plants and even samphire. This is the Provencal lifestyle, full of warm colours, sunny flavours and friendship, as you can see in this elegant collection of handmade plates. Each item exists in three different colours: opaline, paille and miel.

A profoundly Mediterranean inspiration Made in Provence

For more than 40 years, the Barbotine workshop has perpetuated the authentic gestures of the age-old savoir-faire of the artisanal pottery typical of Aubagne, the Provencal ceramics capital. In the 19th century, pottery and ceramics were the most important part of Aubagne’s industry. Nowadays, Nadège Arniaud, who manages the workshop, draws her imagination from documentaries, exhibitions, archaeological research and the ethnology of Mediterranean and Provencal cultures. All the items in the Barbotine workshop are thrown by hand, following tradition to design creative, Provencal and traditional items. This unique experience is recognized as excellent craftsmanship, which has earned the Barbotine workshop the State label of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant.

Visit the workshop and its secrets

Want to know more about the savoir-faire of artisanal pottery? Head straight for the Barbotine workshop and shop in Aubagne. Tours of the workshop are organized by the association « Argile Vivante », which strives to valorize the town’s traditions, and, of course pottery. On the programme, you can discover the many creations of the Barbotine workshop and their uses, along with the thousand-year-old history of the many forms of this pottery of yesteryear. You will learn the secrets of clay-based cookery, which magnifies flavours in a way no other material can. The visit is also the opportunity to see the potter and his team work and repeat the authentic gestures of their savoir-faire: throwing, decorating, calibrating… Like a trip back in time guided by objects filled with history whose uses are nevertheless very contemporary.

Where can I buy Provence/Barbotine brand products ?

Order on line on Barbotine website

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Lifestyle

An inventive and daring cuisine, a lively cultural scene in every season, and a rich architectural heritage – Provence is going to amaze you! Quality of life reigns king...

Barbotine

Creation of Mediterranean-influenced glazed earthenware from the 10th to the end of the 20th century, reproducing ancestral gestures.