French name for a balloon bottle made of glass or earthenware of various sizes (2 to 50 litres and more) for the storage or transport of wine, usually woven with willow or straw. There are at least two interpretations of the name. According to one version, it derives from the Persian city of Damaghan, famous for its glasswork. The second version, which is mostly mentioned in various sources, refers to an anecdote involving Queen Joan I of Naples and Countess of Provence (1326-1382). She was driven out of Italy with her husband in 1347 and fled to Provence. There she found shelter during a storm in the workshop of a glassblower near the village of Grasse. She became interested in making bottles and had special types made with a volume of about 10 litres.
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien