Antique French Sarreguemines Terrine, Yellow Glaze

Period: Late 19th or early 20th century

Size: 5½ inches long, 4 inches wide, 3½ inches tall

A small oval terrine in a warm yellow glaze, with a fitted lid and a molded knob pierced by a steam hole. The glaze runs across the lid and body with a soft depth to it, and the base carries the triangular Sarreguemines mark reading Terre à Feu. The size is right for a single portion, a potted meat, a rillette, a bit of butter or confit set out for one. Wear consistent with age and use, sold as found.

Historical Context

Sarreguemines was one of the major French ceramic works, producing in Lorraine from the end of the 18th century. Terre à Feu was its flameware line, made to withstand direct heat and go from the oven to the table without a serving dish in between. Small terrines like this one held potted meats and rillettes, sealed under a layer of fat and kept in the larder.

Styling Ideas

Small enough to sit on a table year round, filled with salt, butter, or nothing at all. The yellow glaze reads warm against wood and pewter, and the lid gives it a finished profile on a shelf of open vessels.