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 They were originally made of ceramics but have also been made of glass or porcelain, commonly in a round shape with an angled exterior ridged surface.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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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
5th 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 6th 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. 

GrizelleOr 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.