The Carpentras Butter Mold

An antique French wooden butter mold, hand-carved in two parts with a handle. The carved well holds a decorative motif — a fruit cluster with foliage and a rope-twist border — that once pressed its pattern into a pat of butter. Pale, bleached wood with a soft farmhouse patina. Sourced in Carpentras, Provence.

Origin: France. Maker: unmarked.
Material: carved wood, two-part (opening) form.
Era: antique, likely late 19th to early 20th century.
Condition: complete and sound, with a pale patina and a few small old worm holes and dry cracks (age, not active damage). The carved motif is crisp and clear.
Measurements: length 26 cm / 10.2 in, width 10 cm / 3.9 in, height 5 cm / 2.0 in.

A lovely decorative piece for a shelf, a wall, or a still life in a country kitchen.