French Antique Faience Cruche Pot A Confit Gargoulette Ceramic Primitive Jar
TMid – 19th C Milk Pitcher made in Annecy in ther High Northern Alps. It is mid-19th C and the Polkas are Blue although they are a dark navy blue which contrasts stunningly with the Brick-caramel Base glaze which is classic of this period. Antique but wonderful condition. Most that you see are eary to Mid 230th C. This is the’real deal. If you see circular ridges on the bottom of any Savoie poterie, it is not possible to be made after the 1890s-1900. A CRUCHE MIGHT TAKE A FAMILY WHO WORKED A SMALL FARM A YEAR OF WORK SO THEY COULD OBTAIN ITEMS TO LESSEN BURDENS OF THEIR DAILY LABOR. EASING SOME OF THE KITCHEN WORK, THE SHOPS, THER FIELDS, FIXING UTENSILS. INCLUDING’TERRE VERNISSÉE’ (THE TRUE NAME IN FRENCH). BUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE STUDIED SUCH A FRUSTRATING ANTIQUE FORM, BY USING METHODS THAT OTHERS COULD NOT POSSIBLY KNOW, AS THERE IS NO FINITE NAME, REGION OR AGE TO ANY OF THESE PIECES WE CAN ONKY ASCERTAIN PROVENANCE BY CLAY COLOR, MIXTURES USED TO MAKE GLAZE COLOR, FORMS WHERE THE MAJORITY WERE KNOWN TO BE MADE. THUS A HANDLESS KITCHEN CONFIT POT FOR HOLDING THER JUICES AND FAT FROM DINNER TO BE USED THE NEXT DAY, MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED AS A HONEY JAR OR FOR HOLDING OLIVES. PART OF THE EXCITEMENT OF A 10% CHANCE THAT YOUR PIECE WAS NOT FOR ITS INTENDED USE. CERTAIN POTERIE CENTERS WERE SO CONSISTENT AND KNOWN FOR THEIR SUPERIOR WORK, THAT THE FORMS AND GLAZE COULD BE IDENTIFIED IN TWO SECONDS. ST JEAN DE FOS IS ONE OF THESE POTERIE CENTERS. ST JEAN DE FOS IS CONSIDERED AN EXEMPLARY CENTER THAT ATTRACTED SOME OF THE BEST POTTERS. YOU CAN ALWAYS RECOGNIZE A CONFIT POT, CRUCHES, HANDLESS POTS AND JARS HEADED FOR KITCHENS WHERE THEY WERE USED FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THE ST JEAN DE FOS CARAFE IS A HALLMARK CREATION ATTRIBUTED TO ST JEAN DE FOS. THIS COLOR FOUND ALONG WITH THE VARIETY OF POTERIES IS ALSO UNIQUE TO St JEAN DE FOS OFFER A KITCHEN POT/JAR THAT WAS USED FOR CONFIT. THESE POTS HELDJUICES AND FAT DRAINED FROM MEAT ROASTING IN THE OVEN. IT HAS THE CREAM GAZE THAT EITHER VERED TOWARDS VERY PALE YELLOW OR THE CREAM WITH A HUE HERE OR THERE OF PALE YELLOW. THE FORM HAD A NORMAL SIZE RIM SIZE BUT THE CENTER WAS STOUT AND OUT OF PORTION TO THE BOTTOM WHICH PULLED IN AND SAT ON A BASE. THIS CONFIT POT WAS ALWAYS GLAZED IN THE THICK CREAM COLOR OF ST. JEAN AS WELL AS THE TRANSPARENT ENGOBE COVERING THE POTERIE BEFORE THE COLORED GLAZE. THIS WAS ALSO TO MAKE IT STRONG AS IT SAT NEAR THE HEAT. THIS CONFIT POT IS VERY OLD. THERE IS NOT ONE HAIRLINE FRACTURE, NO PIECES MISSING AROUND THE RIM, JUST WEAR AND TEAR. THE GLAZE HAS CRACKLE LINES BUT THAT IS ALL THEY ARE. UNDOUBTABLY FROM THE HEAT BUT THEY ARE NOT CRACKS!!!!! ST JEAN DE FOS. 7 INCHES AT WIDEST. THIS IS WHAT MY’MAITRE’ TAUGHT ME OVER THE YEARS IN FRANCE. THERE IS ALWAYS A BUT……. Most OF THE CONFIT POT JARS WITHOUT HANDLES WERE USED FOR HOLDING MUSTARD AND OCCASIONALLY, JAM CONSERVES. THEY WERE MADE THROUGH LANGUEDOC AND PROVENCE. THEY WERE GLAZED FROM THE TOP TO THE CENTER OF THE HANDLESS CONFIT POT TO FEND OFF VERMIN. THE JAR/POT OFFERED HERE HAS MINOR RIM WEAR BUT OTHERWISE IN PERFECT CONDITION. THE GLAZE COLOR, DIFFERENT HUES OF YELLOW-MUSTARD ARE STUNNING. 5 X JUST UNDER 5. MADE THROUGHOUT THE MID – LATE 19THC. WHEN GLASS PRODUCTION WAS USED FOR FOOD PRODUCTS STARTING AROUND 1900S-1910, THE CONFIT JAR SLOWLY WANED. JAUNES ET VERRTES; FRENCH ANTIQUE POTTERTY.
Posted in french
Tagged: antique | ceramic | confit | cruche | faience | french | gargoulette | primitive