Rare Antique Villeroy & Boch Wall-Mounted Flour Jar – c.1874–1909 | East Berlin

Found on a quiet morning in Prenzlauer Berg, East Berlin, tucked among old tiles and iron hooks in a small antiques shop on Wörther Straße. This ceramic Mehl (flour) jar was made by Villeroy & Boch sometime between 1874 and 1909, and it carries more than a century of history in its delicate lines and soft glaze.

It would once have hung in a kitchen—maybe tiled, maybe wood-panelled—where hands reached for it daily, flour dust rising in the warmth of bread-making or cake-mixing, quiet rituals that repeated with comforting regularity. The pierced backplate, both decorative and functional, is laced with gentle folk detailing. The original wooden lid has aged to a soft honeyed tone, worn smooth with time.

The cream glaze is gently crazed all over—no damage, just that beautiful spiderweb of time—and the cobalt blue banding and Gothic Mehl. lettering are still bold. It’s solid, storied, and full of presence.

A piece that speaks of care, of usefulness, of beauty in the everyday. It belongs in kitchens with open shelves and linen tea towels, where baking is done slowly and nothing is too perfect.

• Villeroy & Boch, 1874–1909
• Glazed ceramic with wooden lid
• Original Gothic “Mehl.” lettering
• Pierced for wall hanging
• Found in East Berlin (Wörther Str. 39, Prenzlauer Berg)
• No cracks or chips; beautiful antique crazing throughout

Dimensions;
Height: 22cm
Width: 18cm
Depth: 11cm