La Lorraine Canning Jar

La Lorraine Canning Jar

• Vintage.
• Found in a flea market in Le Mans.  
• Made of glass.
• 13.5' H 4' Dia
• Listing is for a single canning jar with lid in the style shown.

We met a collector at a brocante in Le Mans and somehow got ourselves invited back to his farmhouse where he had a big and beautiful collection of these vintage French canning jars.  This example is made from heavy green glass and embossed with the La Lorraine mark.  

About French canning jars

The french canning jar can be considered a life saver in more ways than one. The french canning jar was invented during the Napoleonic wars in France as as way of preserving food for travelling solders. These wars lasted for 15 years, and required troops to remain isolated in the countryside for extended periods of time without steady access to food supplies. As a result, many began to suffer from scurvy and starvation, so in a desperate attempt to protect their soldiers, the French government offered a 12,000 franc reward to anyone with a solution for this food scarcity. In 1806, Parisian candy maker, Nicolas Appert discovered that glass containers that were sealed with a metal disc and wax and then dipped in boiling water worked effectively to preserve food, bringing life to our beloved french canning jar.