Exceptionally Rare Set Bringing Together the Two Original Pots of the Bazas Hoard

A remarkably important and particularly rare ensemble comprising the two original vessels that contained the gold and silver coins of the Bazas Hoard at the time of its discovery.

Green-Glazed Earthenware Pot
This green-glazed terracotta pot originally contained the hoard's gold coins.

Dimensions: Height 115 mm; rim diameter 65 mm; base diameter 52 mm.

Grey Earthenware Chalice-Shaped Pot
This grey earthenware vessel, shaped like a chalice, originally contained the majority of the silver coins.

Traces of an illegible handwritten document once affixed to the interior wall of the vessel remain visible. Chipped foot.

Dimensions: Height 93 mm; rim diameter 86 mm; base diameter 39–40 mm.

This exceptional set is accompanied by the following original documents:

• The original storage box from the lot sold at the auction organized by Vinchon on 29 October 2005 (Lot 311).
• The original auction catalogue, included with the two pots.

Notably, the two pots from the Bazas Hoard were selected to illustrate the cover of the auction catalogue, highlighting their historical significance and iconic character.

Important: The pots offered here do not contain any of the coins from the hoard.

For shipments within Europe and outside Europe, an export license issued by the French Ministry of Culture is required, resulting in an estimated processing period of approximately six months.

The Bazas Hoard

The Bazas Hoard was discovered on 5 May 2004 in a 17th-century building undergoing renovation. During the works, a concealed niche was uncovered within a wall. Inside this niche were two pots: one containing 157 gold coins and the other several dozen silver coins, together with additional billon coins found outside the containers, for a total of 1,010 coins.

The hoard can be dated to around 1486 based on the presence of a Béarn écu of Catherine, a écu au soleil of Charles VIII, and an angel of Richard III. The coins originate from France, Aquitaine and other French provinces, England, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Low Countries.

Although no specific reason for its concealment has been identified, the hoard was most likely a private deposit. Its owner was probably a prosperous bourgeois involved in the economic development of the town, located near Bordeaux, and engaged in trade in wine, timber, or woad with other parts of Europe.

The Bazas Hoard was initially dispersed at a public auction held in Angoulême on 29 October 2005, conducted by auctioneers Robert Juge and Vincent Gérard-Tastet, with Françoise Berthelot-Vinchon acting as expert.