Ramekin is thought to come from a Dutch word for "toast" or the German for "little cream."




Name

Ramekin

Variant

Ramequin, Ramekin dish.

Pronounced

(ramə kin)[RAM-ih-kihn]ræməkin

Function

English Noun

Plural

Ramekins

Hypernym

A type of dish

Purpose

Cooking

Etymology

French Ramequin from Low German ramken, diminutive of cream, circa 1706. middle Dutch rammeken (cheese dish) dialect variant of rom (cream), similar to old English ream and German rahm. Ancient French cookbooks refer to ramekins as being garnished fried bread.


Meaning

1. A food mixture, (casserole) specifically a preparation of cheese, especially with breadcrumbs and/or eggs or unsweetened pastry baked on a mould or shell.

2. With a typical volume of 50-250 ml (2-8 oz), it is a small fireproof glass or earthenware individual dish similar in size and shape to a cup, or mould used for cooking or baking and serving sweet or savoury foods.

3. Formerly the name given to toasted cheese; now tarts filled with cream cheese.

4. A young child usually between the ages of 3 months and 11 years exhibiting a compulsion to force or "ram" their head into various objects and structures.

These days, a ramekin is generally regarded as a small single serve heatproof serving bowl used in the preparation or serving of various food dishes, designed to be put into hot ovens and to withstand high temperatures. They were originally made of ceramics but have also been made of glass or porcelain, commonly in a round shape with an angled exterior ridged surface. Ramekins have more lately been standardized to a size with a typical volume of 50-250 ml (2-8 ounce) and are now used for serving a variety of sweet and savoury foods, both entrée and desert.

They are also an attractive addition to the table for serving nuts,dips and other snacks. Because they are designed to hold a serving for just one person, they are usually sold in sets of four, six, or eight. Ramekins now are solid white, round, with a fluted texture covering the outside, and a small lip. Please bear in mind that whatever you ask for them on Internet auction sites, someone is still getting the same thing in an op shop for peanuts.

However, there are hundreds of decorative ramekins that came in a variety of shapes and sizes. They came in countless colours and finishes and many were made by our leading artists and ceramicists. My collection has ramekins with One handle only, fixed to the body at one point only. If it has no handle, it is a bowl. If it has two, it is a casserole dish. But the glory day of the Australian Studio Art ramekin is well and truly over. See some here, ask questions or leave answers.

P.S. Remember, just as real men don't eat quiche, real ramekins don't have lids or two handles. Also remember, two handles makes it a casserole dish. Also, please note If it aint got a handle, it's just a bowl.

P.P.S. To all you cretins who advertise your ramekins by associating them with "Eames" or "Eames Era". Get your hand off it, you are not kidding anyone. The Eames people have told me that they never made ramekins.

P.P.P.s To all the illiterates out there in cyberspace, just as there is no "I" in team, there is no "G" in Ramekin. I am the Rameking, they are ramekins.

If you have a set of Grandma's ramekins at the back of a kitchen cupboard, have a look through the site, maybe you will identify them. Thank-you for looking.

There are many of you out there that have knowledge of Australian pottery. Please let me know if you have anything that I can add to the notes. It is important to get the information recorded. You probably know something that nobody else does.

Please note that while your comments are most welcome, any that contain a link to another site will no longer be published.

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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Elischer


Elischer C1
Designer
Cotton/John Eischer
Maker
Elischer
Marks
Incised to base “Elischer C1”
Description
Square bowl with rounded corners, tapering towards base. Spoon shaped handle typical of Cotton (U.K). Black exterior gloss glaze with harlequin interiors. With two serving trays of similar colour and glaze.
interiors.
Number
Set of four.
Production Date
Possibly early 1960s
Width
103mm 4.1/2”
Depth
47mm 1.3/4”
Length (with handle)
145mm 5.1/2”
Weight
290gm
Volume
310ml
Acquisition
Salvo shop Mount Waverley
Elischer Pottery was started in Sandringham in 1947 by well-known sculptor John (Johann Wolfgang) Elischer (1891-1966) and his son, also named John, (real name Wolly). John (Snr) was born in Vienna and trained at the Academy of Vienna from 1908 to 1911 and was an Associate of the Royal Academy Vienna. It was reported that he won the Prix de Rome in 1909. This was a scholarship for art students, offered by a number of countries. Although his name does not appear on any of the list of winners, he may have been awarded a second prize. This is no shame because Manet and Monet both failed to win the Prix de Rome. Although, their records show that there is no prizewinner listed under the painting category for 1909. Johan later studied in Paris (1910-1911) under the even more famous August Rodin.
After serving with the Austro-Hungarian forces in World War 1, he practiced as a sculptor in Vienna and designed figures for Austrian porcelain factories. In 1924, he became the Art Director at Dittman-Brunner, an Austrian light fitting and novelty manufacturer. He won an international competition in 1926 to design a memorial in South Africa for General Botha. An excellent example of his early work, the sculpture, 'Foundryman' is held in the Eckhart G. Grohmann Museum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. This piece captures the intense concentration and skill involved in pouring metal.
John migrated to Australia in mid November 1936 with his sister Edith. While living in Douglas Street Toorak in 1951, John won the 200 guinea prize ($420, about two months wages of the day) for a design for a jubilee medal for Australian Primary School and pre school children. There is a medal on the table with these ramekins. The medal was given to the school children of Australia in 1951 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Federation of Australia. The design was chosen after a competition, with the valuable cash prize of two hundred guineas. It was won by John for his depiction of a man hand-sowing wheat. The wheat represents the seven States of Australia on the other side of the medal, at left 1901, at right 1951 in tiny letters near ground right, J.W.E. (obverse) Some of his notable sculptures are busts of Archbishop Daniel Mannix and Television great Graham Kennedy in clay. students.
At a meeting of the University Conservatorium Old Students, in November 1937, He said; "The origin of creative art is longing. Nature has given us all the incentive to mould, form, or create in one way or another. A child at play is only employing the creative urge it feels within itself, and an artist is nothing but a big child”. Elischer, P. Hurry and John Farmer together held an exhibition of works at the Atheaeum, Collins Street Melbourne, in June 1937. The catalogue lists 10 pieces of sculpture by 'John Wolfgang Elischer, A.R.A. (Associate of the Royal Academy) (Vienna)' (Copy in Museum Victoria History and Technology Department
In early October 1938, John’s two sons Frederick and Wolly arrived in Melbourne aboard the “Tiederic”. Wolly, who spoke no English, was apprenticed to his father and studied sculpture, since, as a child he was fond of modelling. Wolly joined the Scouts, an organization he belonged to in Austria before it was banned by the Nazis. Both boys were keen athletes. Also in 1938, his mother Anna died. She had been one of Franz Lizst's last students and was a renowned concert pianist.
Elischer also received commissions for sculptures including the King George V Memorial in Bendigo (1938). The statue was unveiled in September 1939 by the then Premier of Victoria, Mr Dunstan amidst complaints that local materials had not been used in the making of the statue.He also made a bronze fountain for businessman and philanthropist Sir Russell Grimwade in Toorak. After seven years in Australia, John applied to become a naturalized Australian in 1943. Austria, Australia, only a couple of letters different. In 1946 Huntley Pottery in Glenhuntly began making slip cast items designed by John Elischer. In the late 1940s/1950s, Elischer branched out from his line of homewares and began making flagons and related advertising items such as ash-trays and jugs for the liquor industry.  Many of these commercial items are now prized by collectors but today, you can still find his port bottles in most op-shops.
John (Senior) died in 1966 and the business was continued by his son John (Wolly), until 1987 when it was sold. Prior to that, at some time, he started making pieces the brand NCP. The business continues today as “Unique Ceramics” at 31 - 33 Beaumaris Parade, Highett, Victoria.You probably have some of their stuff without knowing it. Have a look at the bottom of that ceramic port bottle of beer stein from the Dandenong Octoberfest. In 2002, Elischer Street in Canberra was named in his honour. Unique Ceramics continues to use the “Elischer” brand today on some of their wares.

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