The Rameking

Worldwide Headquarters of the Australian Studio Art Ramekin, (and a few others) that piece of Australiana that has almost disappeared from our lives and tables. How many of you Baby Boomers have sat in front of a warm fire in winter, eating tinned spaghetti from a ramekin? In the period between the World Wars, and in the decades after, many famous artists made ramekins. They continued until cheap imports and copies almost killed them off in the 1970s. See them here in all their faded glory.

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

Name

Ramekin

Variant

Ramequin, Ramekin dish.

Pronounced

(ram′ə 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 They were originally made of ceramics but have also been made of glass or porcelain, commonly in a round shape with an angled exterior ridged surface.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.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Yeaman, Greg Yeaman

Designer	Greg Yeaman
Maker	Greg Yeaman
Marks	Incised initials GY to edge of base
Material	Clay
Description	Hand made, wheel thrown straight-sided bowl curving inwards slightly at top. Thickened rim and flat unglazed base. Flat handle from centre of bowl side. Clear matte glaze to interior and exterior, brown glaze band to lower third of bowl exterior.
Condition	Very good
Number	No number
Production Date	2012
Width at rim	95mm
Width at Base	100mm
Depth	55mm
Length (with handle)	153mm
Weight	370gm
Volume	260ml
Acquisition	Purchase From the Artist Camberwell Market 31 March 2013
Rameking Reference Number	GYE 001-006

Hooray! The Australian studio rameking is not yet completely gone from our tables. These are experimental pieces from new pottery artist Greg Yeaman. Greg has a studio in Knoxfield, Victoria where he produces a variety of domestic earthenware art pottery. He operates an electric kiln and is experimenting with his own glazes.

Greg, any further information would be appreciated.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Brazil

Designer	Not known
Maker	Not known
Marks	Impressed “Made in Brazil” to base.
Material	Glazed slipware
Description	Clear gloss glazed white slipware ramekin with lid. Large knob handle with pressure release hole in underside.
Condition	Very good, chip to interior rim of one ramekin
Number	No number
Production Date	1980s

Width at rim	110mm Lid 95mm
Width at Base	107 77mm
Depth	67mm 45mm
Length (with handle)	173mm
Weight
Volume
Acquisition	Purchase Wentworth, New South Wales. October 2012
Rameking Reference Number	MMU9 001-002

These ramekins, (or more properly, soup bowls) are slipware and made in Brazil. I think that they were made to look like a product of the “Porcelana Schmidt” factories. Schmidt makes porcelain. It has that distinctive ring when tapped. These don’t. Chances are, it comes from Campo Largo in Panana, Brazil, known for its output of ceramics, particularly porcelain. Some of the well known companies other than Schmidt are Incepa who produce bathroom tiles, Germer, who made a lot of that colourful 70s vases, and Lorenzetti who produce porcelain insulators for the electrical industry, lots of bathroom products, as well as electrical products.

All these companies produce porcelain of greater refinement and quality than these ramekins. There are another dozen or so smaller makers in Campo Largo who also produce enameled porcelain.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Japan

Designer	Not known
Maker	Not known, but if I had to guess, I would say Grizelle.
Marks	Small black stamp “japan” on base of ramekin and saucer.
Material	Glazed slipware
Description	Set of six ramekins with lid and underplate (saucer). Traditional shallow bowl with stem handle and steam hole to underside. White exterior to ramekins with harlequin interior with colour matching fitted lid and underplate. Gloss glaze to entire body including circular foot ring. Spur marks to base.
Condition	Excellent
Number	No number
Production Date	1960s
	Ramekin	Lid	Saucer
Width at rim	93mm	95mm	150mm
Width at Base	48mm	75mm	80mm
Depth	50mm	15mm	20mm
Length (with handle)	140mm
Weight	160gm
Volume	250ml
Acquisition	Purchase Vinnies Boronia 5^th Feb 2013
Rameking Reference Number	MMUJ001-018

These days it is almost impossible to find a little treasure like these little beauties. Thanks Anthony for the tip. I have buckets of Japanese ramekins and I should really put them on the blog because they really do deserve a place of their own. A lot of people have ramekins that were made in Japan. They began to arrive in Australia after the Trade Agreement between the two countries was signed on the 6^th of July 1957, Australia thus became the first nation to trade with Japan after World War II. Because of the standard of living in the respective countries at the time, trade was mostly one way for manufactured goods.

The signing of this agreement began a shift in Australia’s reliance on Great Britain, with Japan quickly becoming Australia’s most important trading partner. Initially, their ramekins were copies of existing Australian makers with a few decorative changes. This was common practice for the times as many Australian makers copied other designs anyway. Copyright compliance in Australia was viewed somewhat more flexibly than today. Many Japanese copies were of Martin Boyd designs. That is why I have added this item because these are such “an homage,” except way better made.

It is sometimes difficult to trace the makers in Japan as they would make up western names to add to their wares. Now, most marks have been washed off over the years. Others, like these, simply had the word “Japan” stamped on the base, or “Made in Japan” moulded into the base.

Grizelle. Or maybe Boyd copied Griselle, who knows? Grizelle was a West German exporter, who rebadged many West German Pottery pieces and marked them as Japanese, Australian & New Zealand, producing pottery during the 50's and 60's. The German and Japanese potteries both produced export wares (a lot were for the souvenir market) and both exported to Australia and the US (probably UK too) The Australian pottery produced utilitarian ware and figurines for the domestic market. Just where this pottery was located, or if an existing maker produced them is not known.

There are many different marks and stickers found on the German/Japanese/Australian versions suggesting that these were produced by different potteries rather than from a distributor selling wares from 3 different countries. In Germany it appears to have been made by Duemler and Breiden, Hoehr Grenzhausen (impressed crossed lines with DB) and the printed Grizelle mark with Germany. The brand name Grizelle does not appear in any German literature about ceramics of the 1950s (Macus, etc.). The marks (stickers) all have the leaping antelope, sometimes it is a gold sticker, sometimes embossed on the base.

Later ramekins from Taiwan, Korea and latterly China overtook Japanese products as Australian makers went to the wall.

Mystery Maker Unmarked No 8

Designer	Not known
Maker	Not known
Marks	No marks
Material	Glazed earthenware
Description	Hand thrown wide mouthed tulip shaped bowl with stub handle, flat base. Light brown speckled colour to exterior and mid-brown single colour to interior and lip of rim. Matte gloss to entire body except base. Similar style to Tremar but different glaze and finish.
Condition	Very good condition for age
Number	No number
Production Date	1980s
Width at rim	110mm
Width at Base	85mm
Depth	60mm
Length (with handle)	130mm
Weight	220gm
Volume	450ml
Acquisition	MS Shop Glen Waverley 30 Nov 2012
Rameking Reference Number	MMU8 001-008

Mystery Maker Marked "NETA"

Designer	Not known
Maker	Not known
Marks	Painted “NETA” on top of handle
Material	Glazed slipware
Description	Mould formed squared dish with rounded corners tapering slightly to similar foot ring. Hand painted vertical stripes flaring outwards at the top. Spoon shaped handle with small circular hole at outer end. Mustard colour to external end of handle. Clear gloss glaze to body with unglazed foot ring. Unglazed patch to base
Condition	Very good
Number	No number
Production Date	Early 1960s
Width at rim	92mm
Width at Base	70mm
Depth	50mm
Length (with handle)	138mm
Weight	250gm
Volume	240ml
Acquisition	Purchase Camberwell Sunday Market November 2012
Rameking Reference Number	MMN 001-002

Small volume ramekins typical of the period. No information on the maker. Any information would be appreciated.

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Origin of the Australian Art Studio Ramekin

In the 19th Century, Ramequin Cases began to be used in cooking. These were paper cups, similar to those used for cupcakes or muffins. As time passed, people began to make them from clay and the spelling mostly changed from Ramequin to Ramekin. Ramequin still holds out in a few places, mainly in parts of the USA. The heyday of the Australian ramekin began in the 1930s.

Australian Art Studio pottery grew out of the 19th Century Arts and Crafts Movement. Following the upheaval of the First World War, potters found that many people still wanted hand made homewares. In Australia, many potters opened studios to meet this demand which intensified after the Second World War when returned ex services people set up their homes. It is the fallout from this ageing group that is now finding it’s way onto the market. Most of them may never be valuable, it is only their intrinsic value,but after another 100 years, who knows?

The Government, still in austerity mode encouraged manufacture of practical pottery post World War 2, by placing a higher tax on decorative wares, leading to potteriesmaking items that were decorative but had a practical use,thus avoiding the tax. This explains the absence of figurines that were the mainstay of many English potteries, and the proliferation of things like ramekins and vases.

Retraining programmes for returned and wounded soldiers at the end of the First and Second World Wars provided a workforce for the many potteries that flourished in Australia at the time. After the First World War, Bendigo Pottery needed a trained workforce to help make the flood of bricks for the housing in Melbourne. Towards the end of the Second, Guy Boyd worked at the Rehabilitation Hospital at Ingleburn, New South Wales, teaching pottery

Before take away food and plastics came to dominate the market, ceramics were used for a much wider range of products. The population explosion created by the Australian gold rush resulted in an increased demand for all kinds of locally manufactured goods. As the market diversified so too did the pottery, from commercial packaging to utility kitchenware. For the larger pottery’s, domestic items were, however, always a sideline to the main business of serving the building trade. For some, smaller potteries and individual potters, ramekins were the main income producer.

In 1957 the Australia-Japan Agreement on Commerce negotiated by Australian Trade Minister, John 'Black Jack' McEwan dealt a major blow to commercial potteries. This agreement opened the doors for mass- produced cheap Japanese ceramics to flood the Australian market. Many local commercial potteries were forced out of business by this competition, but a few managed to survive.

There are also the untold stories of some Eastern European migrants fleeing persecution who made a new life in post war Australia, thanks largely to ramekins. Because they made homewares and not art sculpture, their stories have not been adequately told. In some cases, this is the only place you will find part of their stories.

To help calculate the relative cost of these ramekins, I have here are a couple of items to compare the average weekly earnings for a man in Australia for the decades during which ramekins were popular; In 1940, it was $9.60, in 1950 it was $11.50. To convert to the old currency, divide by two.

Please Note

Comments on this blog are moderated BEFORE they appear on the site, and this takes time. There is often a delay between a comment being posted and it being approved. If you do not wish to have your comment posted, I will not post it.

The photographs form part of the description. Due to the light, my photos may show slight variances in colour and some shadows, distortions, reflections and highlights that should not be there. Also different computers and monitor settings will affect colours. My ramekins are all washed in warm water with mild detergent as this identifies any crazing or cracks that are very faint, or invisible to the naked eye. This ensures that the descriptions are more accurate.

Modern Ramekins

Ramekins are one of the few baking dishes that actually have their own name, setting them apart from generic sounding “cake pans” and “baking dishes.” Modern ramekins are small, cylindrical dishes that are used for baking individually sized dishes. They are ideal for baking small soufflés, as their straight sides make it easy for an egg white-based souffle mixture to rise up the sides of the dish and gain a lot of height, as well as for baking individual desserts, since they offer built-in portion control. Use them for little pudding cakes and baked egg-cups, and also for chilled desserts, such as panna cotta and chocolate mousse.

Ramekins can be made out of any heat-proof material; most modern ones are often made out of porcelain, pyrex or something similar. They can come in any size, but are most often found in 4-, 6- or 8-ounce volumes. Some will have very shallow sides, but most have a rise of about an inch or so, depending on the size of the dish itself.

Their small size actually makes them useful for applications outside of the oven. For instance, they’re often used when a cook is doing preparation work in the kitchen, separating chopped ingredients into individual dishes to be used at a later time. They’re also a nice way to present side servings of dressings, sauces and dips.

There are a small number of people who refer to ramekins as “pipkins”. I do not. Yes, there are similarities, but historically, a pipkin is a small earthenware or metal cooking pot used for cooking over direct heat. They had a tripod moulded into the base to stand clear of the fire. Examples of Romano-British pipkins are not uncommon. Late medieval and postmedieval pipkins had a hollow handle in order to insert a stick in it for manipulation. See the “Diana” ramekins for a recent homage to this. Many more recent ones have a spout at a right angle to the handle.

To me a ramekin without a handle is just a bowl or a dish.

It's simple really.

No handle-it's a bowl or a dish

One handle-it's a Ramekin

Two Handles-it's a Casserole dish

Copyright

Most of the images on this site are of my collection as are the comments. Other images and comments on this site are reproduced for the purposes of your information and interest only. I would be grateful for any information concerning Copyright and I will withdraw any items so described immediately on Copyright holder's request.

Please leave any other comments regarding anything on this blog. In the interests of accuracy, I will be pleased to have any information or comments you may have. There are many older people out there that have been involved in the Australian pottery world of the fifties and sixties. Get those arthritic fingers moving and put that knowledge out there. When you go, it goes with you.

Disclaimer

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The facts, figures, reviews, records, statistics, and other data presented on this blog is for suggestion and information purposes only. The Rameking is not responsible for any incorrect or incomplete information. The Rameking does not take responsibility for any user-reviews of websites inside its resource and reserves the right to keep or remove those. It is highly recommended that you review all the data for accuracy.

Name	Ramekin
Variant	Ramequin, Ramekin dish.
Pronounced	(ram′ə 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.