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THIS IS A POT Á CONFIT IS THE THIRD SIZE OF WHAT ARE CALLED 'THE GRANDS' FROM CASTELNAUDARY. THE CONFITS ARE 10 - 13.5-14 INCHES. THIS RARE BEAUTY IS A LARGE 12 INCH POTERIE. LIKE MOST CONFIT POTS ON FARMS AND SUCH, CONFIT POTS WERE USED TO PROTECT FROM THE SUMMER HEAT. THE GRANDS HOWEVER WERE TRULY USED FOR CONSERVING ANY MEAT OR VEGETABLE IN LARGER AMOUNTS AND THUS THEY WERE BOUGHT BY THE MORE PROSPEROUS BUTCHERS,FARMERS AND MEN WHO SOLD AT MARKETS. UNLIKE WHAT YOU'VE READ HERE,ANY POULTRY FAT WITH MUCH SALT, WOULD SUFFICE. THESE STRONG POTERIES WERE USED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF PROTECTING THE INTERIOR FROM THE STRONG SUMMER HEAT AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CHANCE THAT SOMETHING WOULD GO WRONG SUCH AS A POT CRACKING FROM INTENSE HEAT.
THIS 'GRAND CONFIT' HAS A FORM OF THE 1800S. MAYBE 1810..MAYBE 1790. THAT S AS SPECIFIC AS ONE CAN TRULY GET. THE LONG FORM FORM OF THE GRAND STARTING RIGHT UNDER THE RIM HAD TO BE HEAVIER THAN MOST CONFITS IN A SMALLER FORM BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT WAS MADE TO HOLD AS MUCH AS MUCH AS IT COULD.
THE GLAZE MAKES THIS PIECE 'EXTRA TOPS'. IT IS THICK AND A BEAUTIFUL MUSTARD YELLOW WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE CONFIT LIQUID EMBEDDED IN THE PORES OF THE 200+ YEARS JUST ON THE VERY TOP OF THE RIM WHERE IT INDENTS...TOO BAD IT IS ONLY ABOUT TWO AREAS AS THAT IS SPECIAL. IT LOOKS STUNNING. THERE IS JUST WEAR AND TEAR AROUND THE RIM.
THE AMAZING AMOUNT OF CARAMEL DRIPS ALL OVER THE POT IS JUST THE EXTRA PLUS THAT SHOULD MAKE THIS COVETED. IT SEEMS THAT POTS A CONFIT THAT HAVE SPECIAL 'EXTRAS' SUCH AS DRIPS OR EVEN MORE, DRIPS OF A DIFFERENT COLOR ARE FADING AWAY AND WHEN THEY ARE FOUND, THE PRICES NOW ARE INCREDIBLE.
WHEN I STARTED GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS PASSION 20 YEARS AGO, I COULD FIND THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS DESIGNS AND COLORS AND IT WAS A USUAL OCCURRENCE. ONE ALWAYS HAS TO REMEMBER THAT FRANCE IS NOT A GIANT COUNTRY AND THESE POTERIES IN DECENT TO SPECIAL CONDITIONS ARE ALMOST GONE. SOON IT WILL BE THE ADVENT OF ONLY REPRODUCTIONS. I SAY THIS FROM ONE WHO HAS ONLY WORKED WITH FRENCH POTTERY MAFIA DEALERS AND WE DISCUSS THE PERIOD OF RECKONING WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. BE FLEXIBLE AS THESE ARE NOT FOUND IN A SUPERMARKET WHERE YOU CAN BUY EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. JUST A PIECE OF ADVICE FROM AN OLD (WELL..I AM NOT OLD) TIMER IN THIS AREA OF ANTIQUES!
MOVING ON....WE HAVE A BEAUTY HERE. 12 INCHES H AND 10 X 11 IN WIDTH AND LENGTH.
MERCI TRAY
JAUNES ET VERTES FRENCH ANTIQUE POTTERY
WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT
'PS PARDON
