French Country · Encyclopedia · Copper
Coquemar
A handled copper kettle, first imported from Turkey according to the book, that kept hot water at hand on the hearth. Its weighted lid tapped on the rim when the water boiled, warning the household.
French: coquemar, marabout · Originally from Turkey · copper
At a glance
- Also called: marabout
- Material: copper
- Origin of the form: Turkey, according to the book
- Clever detail: a weighted lid that rattles at the boil
What it is
A tall, pot-bellied kettle with a handle, set on the landier beside the fire. Its lid is weighted, so it tapped against the rim of the pot when the water boiled, alerting those in the room.
Prestige
The book describes the coquemar as more prestigious than the ordinary kettle. Its tall silhouette and handsome copper made it a pride of the hearth.
Collecting and displaying it
Check the body for repairs and the handle rivets for looseness. Patina or polish is a matter of taste; avoid harsh abrasives.
A coquemar on a hearth or a shelf adds height and glow.
Source: Les Trésors de France: vieux métiers et objets d'autrefois (Éditions Rustica, Détours en France collection, 1995), pp. 138–142, with general background on the object. The book was published in 1995, so workshops, people and figures are described as they were then. Regional names and dates are given as the book records them; a style or a region of origin does not by itself date an individual piece.