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 They were originally made of ceramics but have also been made of glass or porcelain, commonly in a round shape with an angled exterior ridged surface.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, June 22, 2013

It's The Pits



As well as ramekins, I have recently been writing a story about the old brick, pipe and tile works in Oakleigh, Victoria.  This key industry was also once prevalent across many area of Melbourne but is now restricted to a couple of super plants.  Almost everywhere, the old brickworks have been demolished and the land converted to other uses.   Councils used the pits to dump our rubbish for decades and those areas most  thankfully have been converted to public open space.  

Over the next few months I hope to convert my work so far and publish it on my other blog "IT"S THE PITS".  If you get the chance, have a look.  It's the pits has heaps of other people using the name, so I had to find a name that was not used, so key in "wuxtiple" and you are there.  No, it doesn't have some secret meaning, it's just a combination of letters that wasn't taken.  There is not much there at the moment, but be patient.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

KMK Kupfermuhle




Designer        
Kristiane Wener
Maker
KMK Kupfermuhle
Marks
Paper stamp “KMK Manuell” on base
Material
Glazed terra cotta stoneware
Description
Low profile bowl with moulded short handle protruding from rim.  Hole in handle for hanging for display.  Pale grey matte glaze with unglazed foot ring.  Abstract floral pattern in off-white to interior of base.
Condition
Very good
Number
No number
Production Date
1990
Width at rim
110mm
Width at Base
75mm
Depth
36mm
Length (with handle)
148mm
Weight
245gm
Volume
250ml
Acquisition
Purchase
Savers, Frankston
17th June 2013
Rameking Reference Number
KMK 001

This stoneware ramekin was made around June 1990 by the German company KMK Kupfermuhle (Coppermill).   (Keramik Maufactur Kupfermuhle GmbH & Co KG 25551 Hohenlockstedt DE.)  This ramekin is from their “Décor” Series 40000 (40,914 Ascher) designed by Kristiane Werner, the series began production in December 1987.   This pattern came out in June 1990.


This company began in 1949 with five people in an old World-War II ammunition shed in  Schleswig-Holstein in the municipality of Hohenlockstedt.  By 1960 they had bought their own premises and were hand-painting their wares.  They were one of the many German companies making that revolting technicolour pottery that seems to have become collectible lately.  The company ceased production in 1998.




Monday, June 17, 2013

Redbyrne Potteries






Designer        

Maker
Redbyrne Potteries Shepparton
Marks
Stamped “Redbyrne Potteries Shepparton” to outside of footring
Material
Glazed blue clay
Description
Wide hand thrown bowl with narrow base and pronounced unglazed footring.  Knob handle  with steam hole at outer end.  Brown matte glaze to interior and exterior excluding footring.
Condition
Very Good
Number
No number
Production Date
1980s
Width at rim
120mm
Width at Base
50mm
Depth
70mm
Length (with handle)
165mm
Weight

Volume

Acquisition
Purchase
Savers, Frankston
17th June 2013
Rameking Reference Number
RBY 001

Pickings have been a bit slim at the op-shops lately, I see stallholders from antique markets trawling Salvo shops and it has become difficult to get in first.  Thankfully, most of them have not got a clue about anyone other than the top makers.  Anyway, I found this piece today, just the one.  Redbyrne Pottery was operated in Shepparton, a rural city, north of Melbourne; by Robert and Dawn Waterson, between 1975 to 2005.  It was well known throughout Victoria, supposedly at the time, being our largest producer of hand thrown pottery and probably in Australia.  A number of different potters worked there, some using their own marks, others stamping “Redbyrne potteries Shepparton” on their work.  They also hand-made pottery plaques that were placed under the garden seats of the Shepparton International Village to recognize the local groups and businesses who donated benches to the village. 



Redbyrne Potteries was located at 225 Old Dookie Road, Shepparton. They   produced a wide range of well-thrown functional stoneware, mostly with a satiny red-brown glaze.  Potters who worked there included Gilbert Buchanan, Chris Cheer, Graeme Day, Steven Elliott, Robert Henderson, Mark Lepp, Cathy Thompson, Noel Townsend, Robert Waterson and Craig Willis. Works were impressed ‘Redbyrne Potteries Shepparton’ or ‘Redbyrne Potteries’ preceeded by the individual potter’s name. (Thanks Australian Pottery at Bemboka for this para)

When the property was sold, Rob and Dawn donated a whole lot of remaining pottery items to the Life shop in Mooroopna that is run by a local church and the profits went back to the Mooroopna community so if you want to get a piece of history before it’s all gone, head over there and see Steve.  Maybe there are still a few pieces left.  If you pass the old pottery site you’ll see a bit of work taking place with the demolition of the pottery and clearing of land completed.   The site to be known as “Redbyrne Estate” is being developed into a twelve-lot subdivision.  You can pick up a block, for a pre-release price of $200,000.  That’s a lot of ramekins.

Another product was something that you would not really think of, Clay Targets.  Everybody has heard of them and somebody had to make them.



The Shepparton Art Museum has, since the 1970s begun to collect and display  historic and modern ceramics. An extensive and impressive collection it includes work by the first convict potters through to individual studio potters and commercial potteries.  There is some wonderful stuff there, but unfortunately, most of their collection is not to my taste.  I believe in utilitarian ceramics, not the trendy wanker crap that passes for “art” pottery, hence, my collection of ramekins.  Decoration is secondary to function and some of it is not even good decoration.  The Emperors New Clothes are alive and kicking.  One thing that I am happy with is their small display of Boyd ramekins.






Designer        
Robert Waterson
Maker
Redbyrne Potteries
Marks
Stamped “Redbyrne Potteries Shepparton” to outside of base
Material
Glazed Earthenware clay
Description
Wheel thrown conical bowl with flared rim at top.  Unglazed foot with indent.  Brown matte glaze to interior and exterior.  Knob handle angled upward from centre of exterior.  Air hole at end of handle.  Darker highlights to bottom of bowl.
Condition
Very good
Number
 No number
Production Date
1980s
Width at rim
130mm
Width at Base
50mm
Depth
60mm
Length (with handle)
170mm
Weight
 280gm
Volume
 300ml
Acquisition
Purchase
E-Bay
22 October 2014.
Rameking Reference Number
RBY 002-005


If you want to read more, see this in his own words.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/austpots/discuss/72157629662786291/