A Classic French Glazed Confit Jar, C. 1880

A beautiful, well-preserved large confit jar with its characteristic yellow glaze over a terra cotta base. Confit jars were used primarily in the South of France for the preservation of meats such as duck or goose for dishes such as cassoulet or foie gras. The bottom halves were left unglazed, due to the fact that the pots were half buried in the ground to keep the contents cooler and fresher longer. "Confit" comes from the French verb "conferir", which means to preserve.