Large French Copper Faitout with Iron Handle from Avignon

A large French copper faitout (makes-everything pot) from the open shelves of the main kitchen at Chanteduc, this well-loved casserole comes directly from Patricia Wells’ personal collection, and she calls it an essential in her kitchen. Purchased in Avignon about forty years ago at Jaffier-Parsi, the venerable cookware house at 42 rue des Fourbisseurs founded in 1902 and famed for traditional copper from Villedieu-les-Poêles, Normandy’s historic center of copper production, it carries the authority of a professional tool from a storied source that served chefs for more than a century before closing in 2017. Heavy-gauge copper gives it satisfying heft and quick, even heat, while the stainless-lined interior keeps it practical for everyday cooking, just as Patricia has used it until now. Three stout rivets secure a dark, pierced iron handle for hanging. The tapered walls, softly burnished to a warm coppery patina, speak to honest use. Patricia explains the taper is key to storage efficiency: “I love things that stack.” In service, it excels at soups, ragouts and grains. At rest, hang it by its handle or nest it on a kitchen étagère where its presence lends warmth and confidence to a working kitchen.