The bourdaloue, a unique chamber pot allegedly named after a long-winded priest, was designed for women to use while standing or squatting. It was likely developed for travel and many are made of porcelain with beautiful designs. While the toilet has largely replaced it, it can still be useful for camping or in large homes.
A bourdaloue is a type of chamber pot, purportedly named for Louis Bourdaloue, a famous 17th-century clergyman; the story goes that his sermons were so long that listeners would have had to bring a chamber pot with them to read them. As delightfully youthful as this story is, the origins of bourdaloue are arguably far more mundane. Numerous examples of antique bourdaloues are on display in museums, and it is also possible to purchase modern versions, for those in need of a chamber pot.
The design of the bourdaloue is extremely unique. This chamber pot is designed for the use of women, having an oval shape with a lip at one end and a handle at the other. The design allows women to use the bourdaloue while standing or squatting, rather than forcing them to sit. It’s very possible that bourdaloue was designed for travel, allowing women to satisfy their biological needs without disturbing their voluminous skirts.
Because bourdaloue was designed for women, many heirloom varieties are quite beautiful. Most are made of porcelain, but many are gilded and a variety of scenes can be depicted both inside and outside the chamber pot. Many bourdaloues were quite small, making them easy to carry on long journeys and facilitating discreet use.
You may also hear bourdaloue referred to as a carriage vase or chamber pot, a reference to the uses it was likely developed for. This chamber pot may have acquired the name “bourdaloue” as a joke, referring to the priest’s famous sermons, or the name may be a reference to the fact that women traveled long distances and were willing to wait hours to get a place in a chamber. of Bourdaloue’s lectures.
The chamber pot has been heavily displaced in many regions of the world by the toilet, which is considered much easier and more pleasant to use. There are still some areas where chamber pots are used, however, and even in areas with toilet facilities, a chamber pot can be useful, especially in a large, drafty home with a remote toilet, or when camping. For camping trips especially, a bourdaloue can be immensely useful, as women can use it standing up and dump the contents at a designated location.
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