Is anyone familiar with Waechtersbach bakeware?

[Neecy]

Cross posted with the collector's group...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=403x1093

I found a nice little Waechtersbach covered roaster at an estate sale this morning - it's about a foot in length and about 6 inches wide. I'm guessing it's around 3-4 quarts and in really flawless condition.

I've been trying to google the piece this afternoon and I can't find anything similar. Waechtersbach makes dinnerware - in fact, that's about all I found on their site and in my google adventures - but I can't find any trace of bakeware they might have made anywhere. What I'm primarily interested in is the approximate date of the piece - does anyone have any idea?

Here are a couple of photos - the piece is actually a glossy dark blue, but my flash lightened up the color quite a bit.

[NMDemDist2]

1. a kick for Neecy n/t

[Warpy]

2. The color says "60s" to me

but I could be wrong. It looks like a chicken roaster.

My first guess is that someone bought it overseas during a military tour. When she got home, she reverted to tinfoil lined roasting pans because of the easier cleanup. That's why the condition is pristine.

The best place to search would be on German sites. My best guess is that this was a limited experiment in cookware/serving ware before Corning cornered the market on it.

It needed handles on the side, basic design flaw. It's still a very pretty piece.

[Neecy]

3. my color is a little off....

It's actually a standard navy blue. My flash made it look a bit neon :)

I think you're right in that it was either a promotional piece or perhaps a limited issue due to lack of sales. If I had to guess, just from the condition, I'd say it's probably early 1990's because of the Germany stamp. Postwar to unification it probably would have had a West Germany stamp, and it doesn't seem old enough to be prewar. I'm just a little curious about it because it's so unusual.

[Warpy]

5. Yes, you're right about the stamp

and it would only have said "Germany" if it were being made for export.

Some days my brain needs a jump start. This is one of them.

Still, I saw that deep blue mostly in the 60s. The seventies were pond scum green and diarrhea yellow (not my favorite period). The 80s were bland, light neutrals. The 90s did see a resurgence in crayon colors, always a sign that people are feeling a bit more hopeful about things.

[eleny]

4. The finial looks like a loaf of french bread

[Neecy]

6. Wow - you guys are good!

Two of you mentioned something to do with bread with this piece, and you were both right and I was wrong.

I just heard back from Waechtersbach that this thing isn't actually a roaster at all - it's a bread keeper. Since this doubtless isn't much in demand they didn't sell many of them and they were discontinued in the 1990's.

Still, I think it's certainly durable enough to use as a roaster and I'm going to give that a try. Here's to hoping it won't explode in my oven!

[NMDemDist2]

7. that explains the holes in the side

it's a bun warmer

:bounce: