VINTAGE 1950S LE CREUSET FRANCE FLAME ORANGE ENAMELED CAST IRON OVAL AU GRATIN BAKER NO 20

VINTAGE 1950S LE CREUSET FRANCE VOLCANIC FLAME ORANGE ENAMELLED CAST IRON OVAL AU GRATIN BAKER NO 20. WITH FLUTED SHELL HANDLES. THIS LE CREUSET AU GRATIN BAKING DISH IS IN EXCELLENT VINTAGE CONDITION. THERE ARE SOME "WEAR" MARKS AND ENAMEL RIM EDGE CHIPS BUT IT IS STILL IN GOOD CONDITION.
 
THIS OVAL AU GRATIN PAN IS MADE OF ENAMELED CAST IRON (TESTED WITH MAGNET) AND HAVE FLUTED SHELL HANDLES ON BOTH ENDS. THIS DISH IS IN CLASSIC VOLCANIC ORANGE IN COLOR AND MEASURE 23,5CM (INCLUDING HANDLES) X 15CM X 5CM TALL.
 
It is called an Au Gratin Baker since it is a type of bakeware that is used to make the traditional French food known as a Gratiné or Gratin, which is prepared with a brown crispy crust over the surface of the food. 
 
ORIGINAL VINTAGE 1950S-1970S: POSSIBLY VINTAGE PRE 1955?
IT IS IN FLAME ORANGE COLOR. FOR 30 YEARS AFTER THE COMPANYS START UNTIL 1955 THIS WAS THE ONLY COLOR. THEREFORE, ANY VINTAGE PIECES THAT ARE SAID TO BE PRE-1955 SHOULD BE THIS COLOR ONLY. ELYSÉES YELLOW WAS INTRODUCED IN 1956 AND OTHER COLORS FOLLOWED SHORTLY.
CIRCULAR ENGRAVED MARK LE CREUSET MADE IN FRANCE ENCLOSING AN INNER CIRCLE WITH THE NUMBER 20 AND A DOT INSIDE. THIS IS A VINTAGE MARK WITH THE DIAMOND MARK WAS MARKS USED BEFORE 1972. LE CREUSET FIRST USED THE MODERN RECOGNISABLE LOGO WITH THREE CONCENTRIC RINGS IN 1972.
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SAUCEPAN, THE CAST IRON IS BARE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND ON A VINTAGE MODEL OF LE CREUSET.
 
MARKINGS: ENGRAVED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN IS THE NUMBER "20" WITHIN A CIRCLE , THE BRAND NAME "LE CREUSET," AND MADE IN FRANCE.
Le Creuset first used the logo with three concentric rings in 1972 WHICH IS ON THE OTHER LE CREUSET STONEWARE DISH IN CERISE RED ON AUCTION THIS WEEK.
Number markings refer specifically to the size of the Dutch oven, Braiser, Skillet or pan. They are the diameter of the longest dimension, not including the handle. This is based in centimeters. Ours is NO 20 WHICH INDICATES IT IS 20CM WIDE ON LONGEST END.
 
LE CREUSET (1925-): Le Creuset began producing its first porcelain enamelled cast iron pots in 1925 from its foundry in Fresnoy le Grand, France. It is from this base that Le Creuset continues to produce its world famous cast iron pots. While Le Creuset has expanded the types of products it offers and has taken advantage of many technological advances since its beginnings in 1925, some things have not changed in the manufacture of Le Creuset's cast iron. Le Creuset has continued to use the hand-crafted techniques and the original process of forging and casting in the manufacturing of its cookware. This attention to its heritage is also characteristic of the design. The Cocotte, or French Oven, was one of the first cast iron items produced by Le Creuset and is still the most popular item sold in a range of bright retro colours, with Volcanic (orange) the company's trademark.
The 1990s saw widening in the production range at Le Creuset. New ranges were introduced with new materials used. They included aluminium, stainless steel, silicone, stoneware and textiles.
Le Creuset is now sold in more than 60 countries around the world including the US, UK, Japan and Australia.
THEIR SIGNATURE FLAME ORANGE COLOR HARKENS BACK TO THE BEGINNING.
The brand's casting specialist Armand Desaegher and enameling specialist Octave Aubecq settled on a bright orange color for their first enameled oven in 1925, naming the hue "Flame." They were inspired by the bright glow of molten cast-iron. Even the factory in Fresnoy-le-Grand, France is painted the classic orange hue. The iconic Flame color, which is called "Volcanique" in Le Creuset's home country.
NO TWO PIECES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.
Each piece of cookware is cast from a fresh sand mold that's broken back down into sand after its use. The cast pieces are then smoothed by hand and enameled. And that's just the simplified version: The process can take at least 10 hours and actually entails 12 different steps.
LE CREUSET HAS A STRICT NO-FLAW POLICY.
Each pot is inspected by 15 different people before it's deemed suitable for sale, and around 30 percent of the company's goods are rejected because of imperfections. Often, the products are melted back down and the iron is recycled to create new (flawless) products
 
SIZE: 23,5CM FROM HANDLE TO HANDLE 15CM WIDE 5CM TALL
 
CONDITION: FEW TINE ENAMEL SCRAPES ON INSIDE AND A FEW ENAMEL RIM EDGE CHIPS. STILL IN GOOD CONDITION.
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE ANOTHER LE CREUSET RECTANGULAR DISH ALSO ON AUCTION THIS WEEK.