Construction of furnaces 1872 et 1881 (≈ 1881)
Work of the potter Magloire Life.
1900-1914
End of production
End of production 1900-1914 (≈ 1907)
Concurrenced by faience and glass.
8 septembre 2000
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 8 septembre 2000 (≈ 2000)
Official oven protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The kilns (Box AB 136, 149): inscription by order of 8 September 2000, as amended by order of 18 February 2002
Key figures
Magloire Vie - Potter and manufacturer
Built the ovens in 1872 and 1881.
Jules Ziegler - Process inventor
German salt technique used.
Origin and history
The Toadière ovens, located at Lachapelle-aux-Pots in the Hauts-de-France, date from the second half of the 19th century. Built in 1872 and 1881 by the potter Magloire Vie, they illustrate the evolution of cooking techniques in the region. These ovens, of longitudinal type with an oblique cooking axis, are inspired by medieval models but distinguish them by their imposing size (17 meters) and by openings in the vault, allowing to apply a process of sandstone salting at the end of cooking, inspired by the German method of Jules Ziegler.
These installations marked the climax of local pottery production, before its decline around 1900-1914, competed by earthenware for dishes and glass for chemical containers. The ovens of La Crapaudière are the last witnesses of this know-how in Beauvais, representing a unique artisanal and technical heritage. Their preservation, with an inscription in the Historical Monuments in 2000 (amended in 2002), underscores their historical and architectural importance.
Their design reflects a period of industrial transition, where traditional methods coexist with innovations, such as the integration of foreign techniques. Their abandonment in the early twentieth century coincided with the modernization of materials and uses, marking the end of an era for local potters. Today, these ovens offer a material testimony of craft practices and technical exchanges in Europe in the 19th century.
