Copper Gratin Dish

Victorian

Circa mid to late 19th century | France

An antique French copper culinary gratin dish (see The Gen). This dish is made from a very heavy gauge copper with a rolled rim and it dates from the mid to late nineteenth century. It has the original heavy copper ring to hang when not in use.

DIMENSIONS: Diameter 22.8 cm, Height 3.2 cm.

SIGNATURES, MARKINGS & INSCRIPTIONS: Unmarked.

CONDITION: In very good condition, wear consistent with an antique age and use. The copper has a lovely rosy patina. A great decorative item in its current condition or it could easily be re-tinned to be used again by a new gen of cooks.

All my antique copper comes in as found ‘unrestored’ condition with the years of history retained in the lovely patina created by surface marks made by ordinary kitchen use. The choice then becomes yours whether to have the item polished, or the tin relined, and a decorative item can once more become a treasured new kitchen utensil to be loved and used by a new gen. At times an item may already have been lovingly polished by a previous owner and the copper will show off its rosy glow. Whether polished or not, the patina adds to the history of the item and wonder of the stories it could tell.

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THE GEN

The history of copper as a source for kitchenware traces a very long path. This should come as no surprise, as copper, along with gold, is the oldest metal known. Both of these striking metals were discovered in ancient times, and ancient civilisations were enchanted by the beauty of copper. The ancients fashioned copper into decorative adornments and jewellery that enchanted them. Copper was also used for cookware by the ancients, with pieces discovered in the Middle East dating back to 9000 BC, indicating cooking with copper was occurring during the Neolithic period.

Today, many Millenia later, copper kitchenware is desired not only as a functional cookware item, but just as much as a decorative item for its classic stylish appearance. It’s just so perfectly en vogue. And en vogue is so appropriate, as it was the French who turned copper cookware into beautiful decorative items, just as the ancients did their adornments. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, French chefs especially pioneered the use of copper cookware. Copper, which boasts unmatched conductivity and heats quickly and evenly, the French realised could be a genuine kitchen powerhouse. Where previously one pot meals in cauldron pots were de rigueur, French chefs developed an array of specialised cookware for a host of dishes. Saucepans, stewpans, stockpots, fish kettles, moulds and a range of useful utensils among much more, emerged. These new cooking items would have the perfect size, shape, volume and ergonomic design for their particular use. The new equipment would see a culinary revolution, with sauces and desserts previously too difficult to consider now not only possible but mastered.

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