"Large Terracotta Oil Basin, Tuscany, Late 19th Century."
Large terracotta oil basin, Tuscany, late 19th century. The shape is wide and flared, with a pronounced rim and walls decorated with a repeating wavy relief motif. It was used for the first decanting of freshly pressed olive oil: the oil was collected in the basin, left to settle in a cool place, and once the lees had sunk to the bottom, the clear oil was drawn off into the final storage jars. The heavy lid, often in wood or iron, protected the contents and shielded them from light, dust and insects. These containers were common in Tuscan olive mills and mezzadria farmhouses until the early decades of the 20th century.
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