A stoneware cheese strainer (faisselle) The exterior is decorated with a mottled grayish dark brown over a light grey-buff ground, finished with a glossy salt or ash-type glaze to the interior.

Historical & Style Details

• Subject / Sitter / Source: Cheese strainer (Faisselle)
• Artist / Maker: Unknown artisan / studio potter
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Wheel-thrown, hand-pierced, and slip-decorated stoneware
• Materials: Stoneware
• Decorative Details: Vertical columns of pierced drainage holes, abstract mottled slip decoration
• Colour & Surface: Mottled grey and dark brown slip glaze with a glossy olive-grey interior
• Condition: In excellent rustic condition with minor firing anomalies, kiln scars, and surface irregularities consistent with artisanal manufacture

History

Historically, faisselles were essential utilitarian vessels in French rural households, used to drain whey from fresh curds during the cheese-making process. Originally made from tin, wood, or earthenware, stoneware examples from regional pottery centers became highly prized for their durability and hygienic properties. Today, these rustic vessels are highly sought after by collectors of provincial folk art for their sculptural simplicity and tactile, organic glazes.