Set of four Copper Lidded Casseroles with Fish Kettle

"When people ask me why I love copper, I respond that I like to use things that will live longer than I will," Patricia Wells explains. The set comprises a matched pair of small lidded saucepans in graduated sizes, a small oval casserole, and a small fish kettle — a poissonnière. Each piece is hand-formed in copper with a warm, rosy patina that speaks to genuine age and use. The brass handles and lid knobs are cast and riveted in the traditional French manner, their golden tone contrasting handsomely with the burnished, dimpled copper bodies. The fish kettle is particularly appealing in its elongated oval form, fitted with a close-sitting lid and sturdy loop handles at each end. Patricia values copper for more than its looks: she prizes the way it conducts heat, the responsiveness it gives a cook, and what it represents in terms of respect for quality — in equipment as much as in ingredients. Grouped on open shelving, a kitchen dresser or a marble surface, these four pieces are entirely decorative and entirely ready to cook.