How Vintage Vessels Compare by Region

French Vessels
French vessels tend to feel weighty and grounded, with sturdy shapes, thick walls and richly uneven glazes. Their colors often lean warm and earthy: mustard yellow, ochre, cream, brown and deep green.
Confit pots are among the most recognizable. Traditionally used to preserve meat beneath a layer of rendered fat, they were often glazed inside and around the upper exterior while the bottom was left raw. That now-iconic two-tone finish was practical before it was beautiful.
Smaller mustard pots were used to hold, sell or serve prepared mustard, including the varieties associated with Dijon. Many still bear stamped names, handwritten markings or traces of their original labels.

Italian & Mediterranean Vessels
Italian vessels are often warmer and more relaxed in appearance, shaped from terracotta and earthenware in shades of sand, rust and sun-faded orange. Many were tied to the production and storage of olive oil, wine and grains.
Traditional olive jars have generous rounded bodies and narrow openings intended to protect what was kept inside. Some were glazed, while others were left raw enough to reveal the color and texture of the clay. Fingerprints, throwing lines and slight irregularities are not flaws, but rather evidence of the hand that made the piece.
Italy is also known for majolica, a more decorative form of glazed earthenware often painted with florals, geometric borders and regional motifs. These pieces bring the same handmade character to the table with more vibrant, saturated hues.
Amphora vessles were made throughout the Mediterranean for storing and transporting wine, olive oil and other agricultural goods. Their tall bodies, narrow necks and two handles made them easier to carry and pack together. Today, amphoras are loved for their sculptural silhouettes and weathered surfaces that are perfectly for vintage styling.

Chinese Vessels
Chinese vessels span everything from simple household storage jars to intricately painted porcelain. Everyday stoneware pieces were used to ferment foods and store grains, oils and other provisions. Their high-fired construction made them especially durable, which is partly why so many have survived. Glazes range from glossy black to deep brown and mossy green. Over time, food storage became more decorative, featuring painted landscapes, botanicals and symbolic motifs that we now cherish as vintage-lovers.

What to Look For
The shape offers the first clue, but the smaller details often tell you more. Look at the color of the exposed clay, the weight of the piece, where the glaze begins and ends and whether it has handles, a lid or a narrow opening.
A worn rim, an uneven glaze or a faint maker’s mark may reveal something about where it came from and how it was once used. These pieces were never intended to be precious. They became admired through necessity, repetition and time. While the original contents may be long gone, each vessel’s story lives on in our homes as we continue to revel in their beauty.

Related Notes