This gorgeous French copper daubière was made entirely by hand probably in the mid to late 19th century. The dovetail joints are where the hand-beaten copper has been cut by hand, and then soldered with molten brass, and you can see these on the lid, on one side, and on the bottom. The long handle is of forged iron with hand-made copper rivets. The top handle is brass. The craftsmanship and the hours the coppersmith put into this wonderful old cooking pan are clear to see. The classic French dish Boeuf en Daube would originally have been cooked in daubières such as this, and the pan is sometimes also known as a braisière, although that pan tends to have handles on the sides. Designed for long, slow cooking of meat, the pans were placed deep within the embers of an open fire or within an early brick oven. Expensive in its day, the pan would have been a prized item within a household's batterie de cuisine. The pan measures 35cm long, 20cm high to the top of the handle and 15cm without. The width is 19cm and 40cm to the tip of the long handle. The weight is 3.45kg. The tin lining is dark and would need refreshing if being used.
