Bourdalou

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Bourdalous from the Vienna Hofburg

The Bourdalou is a vessel used by society women in the 18th and 19th centuries to empty their bladders. In principle it is a chamber pot for "on the go".

history

The use of the Bourdalou is said to go back to the year 1700, when the then famous Jesuit Father Louis Bourdaloue gave his sermons at the court of King Louis XIV . These are said to have been so captivating that the ladies listened to the priest's rhetorical skills for hours. In order not to have to leave the church in the middle of a lecture because of a "need" during the sermon, some women are said to have taken a saucepan with them to the church and misused it.

The porcelain - factories attacked this mode on and created vessels that were the Saucière similar, but corresponded to the size and shape of the new intended use and as " pot de chambre oval came" to the market. After a short time, the vessels developed into luxury items that were furnished with the most precious decors and delicate details.

Only after the death of Father Bourdaloue did the vernacular give this new everyday object its name, which has meanwhile become widespread and popular. However, there is no evidence that the name was derived from him. More likely, however, is a very old name from Gallo-Franconian. Etymologically to be explained with " bour " = 'stream, source', for water jet (urine stream); " dalou " = 'for the purpose of performing'; possibly the Provencal word for " rubbish " - bourdalho - served as a suggestion for the naming.

See also

  • Female urinal
  • Pollee
  • Urinella Ein Bourdalou can be seen among other things: in the porcelain collection in the Dresden Zwinger in the showcase opposite the toilets, in the Meißen porcelain collection Ernst Schneider Foundation in the Lustheim Palace near Munich, in the Ludwig collection "Shine of the Baroque" in the Old Town Hall in Bamberg, in the Vienna Porcelain Collection in the Porcelain Museum in Augarten Vienna.

literature

  • U. Schmolda From the night cutter to the toilet bowl. Hygienic porcelain and sanitary ware. In: Eva B. Ottillinger (Ed.) Intimate witnesses: From the washstand to the bathroom . Exhib. Cat. Imperial Furniture Collection, Vienna September 21, 2011–22. January 2012, pp. 113–128, ISBN 978-3-205-78731-0 .

Web links

Commons : Bourdalous (urinals)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files