Vintage French Copper Faitout with Iron Handle from Avignon

From the main kitchen at Chanteduc, a large vintage copper faitout that lived on the open shelf, always within easy reach. Purchased in Avignon about forty years ago at Jaffier‑Parsi, the celebrated cookware house at 42 rue des Fourbisseurs that served chefs since 1902 and closed in 2017. Patricia recalls, “I love things that stack,” and the tapered profile sealed the choice, nesting neatly into her cooking batterie. It comes directly from Patricia Wells’ personal collection. Heavy‑gauge copper with a soft rosé glow shows a well‑earned working patina, while the bright stainless lining means you can cook with it today, as Patricia has until now. The long iron handle, fixed with broad rivets and pierced for hanging, feels reassuring in the hand. In the tradition of Villedieu‑les‑Poêles copper retailed by Jaffier‑Parsi, this generous, family‑friendly size concentrates heat for sauces and braises without feeling bulky. Faitout translates as “makes everything,” and this one proves it. An essential of Patricia’s cuisine, it reflects her intelligent simplicity and usefulness, shaped by years of cooking, teaching, and writing between Paris and Provence. Bring it to the stove for risotto, daube, or apricot confiture, then hang it by the handle or stack it on an open shelf for a handsome, ready‑to‑work display in a busy, well‑loved kitchen.