A Renaissance in Cookware - Corning Ware Renaissance Limited Edition Gift Line

Over the last year, I have written up many posts on Corning Ware patterns in order to provide some semblance of a record for the online community.  The whole idea stemmed from the myriad patterns I kept  running into during my quest for my own favorite pattern, being "Wheat".  There has been one pattern, however, that has eluded me over the last year... Actually, it has been eluding me since 2007 when I first found out about it.

Renaissance.   The limited edition Gift Line pattern from 1970.  The pattern is a copy of an old etching of Stockholm's seaport with victory arch in the book Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna written by Erik Dahlbergh around the middle of the 17th century.

The enamel color chosen by Corning to replicate the etching is referred to as Miniver Grey.

(I attempted to re-stage the original ad, alas I am missing the casserole that was in the 2 1/2 quart along with the purple napkin and 4 forks)

This is the complete set (as far as I know right now --  a new piece of Platinum Filigree just surfaced, so who knows)

The P-84-B (4 quart Sauce Pot)

the P-2 1/2-B Sauce Pan (2 1/2 quart Saucepan)

and the P-1 3/4-B quart Sauce Pan (1 3/4 quart Saucepan)

All three of these pieces show only part of the entire scene.   For a more "panoramic view", one must look to the P-35 Broil and Bake tray, however even this is not the entire scene.....

The last piece in the collection is the 9 cup stove top percolator (P-149) which features the Cathedral located on the left side of the tray.

and then continues the etching all the way around the back side.... Giving you the complete picture.

I did get the wood handled cradle with the P-84-B, which is how it originally came.   The smaller saucepans were paired with the chrome "Royal Buffet" candle warming cradles.  I don't particularly care for the wood handled cradle with this pattern, as it covers up too much of the design.  I will probably opt for the Platinum Cradles when I use my Renaissance pieces. Which will only be for "uber" special occasions.

One thing of note, is the special lids that came with the Renaissance pieces (and "Nature's Bounty" in 1971). All 3 of the lids (P-7-C, P-9-C, and P-12-C) have a pebble texture on their underside.....

as opposed the the non-pebbled standard lids (left)

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

3 from Pre-"P" - My Black Trefoil Collection

I suppose that it is only fitting that a pattern like Black Trefoil (3) actually came in 3 variations.   Trefoil is sort of a strange pattern though, as it was released in the "Pre" P-series era.  You see, originally (1958-spring 1961), Corningware didn't have model numbers.  During 1958-59 the information was embossed on the bottom center of the dish, but in 1960 Corning began using blue ink to print the dish size in quarts (or inches in the case of skillets) along with "Corning Ware Pyroceram" and "Made in the U.S.A".

Black Trefoil was originally released in 1960...  It's intention was to appeal to the "upper class" that might look down upon the humble little Blue Cornflower.   P-series model numbers weren't introduced until the Fall of 1961, along with the knob handled lids.  Thus, every piece of Black Trefoil produced before Fall 1961 had a Fin lid (like mine), and all pieces produced after (with P-series model number printed in black) had knob handles lids.

Now I am not sure which pattern variant came first or if they all came out at the same time, but the most well known is this one (shown on the 2 1/2 quart below)

which is known to exist in 1 3/4 quart (P-1 3/4-B) and 2 1/2 quart (P-2 1/2-B) Saucepans as well as the Electromatic Skillet (P-12-ES with an P-22-ES dish -- AKA: the SK-10) and several Percolators in both Stove Top (P-136 & P-139) and Electromatic (P-13-EP) versions.  (Please note that the 1st Generation Electromatic Percolators had different model numbers depending on the printed pattern.  The 10 cup Electromatic Percolator in Cornflower is P-23-EP while the Trefoil was P-13-EP.....   Also note that though the Back Trefoil Range Top models are identical in form to the P-116 and P-119, they were assigned different model numbers none the less.)

I have succeeded in getting my hands on the "Scroll" variant, but I have only seen this one on the Electromatic Skillet (SK-10) and not on ANY other sized piece.

Next to my "Standard" Trefoil 1 3/4 quart (cause it's printed in blue on the bottom) is my most recently acquired Black Trefoil variant...

Up until this piece, I had only seen the SK-10 skillet with this design... But even more surprising is the size of the piece.....

Yes, it really is a "1 1/2 quart" and not the more standard and well known 1 3/4 quart seen in the Main Pattern...   Thus, this one takes a Fin lid as well, like all the others.  Since this is the only piece I have seen, I cannot say as to whether the design carried over into the model number era beyond being applied to the Electromatic Skillet. 

I do not believe there is a Fin lid for the Electromatic Skillet as they were released in the fall of 1961, in the post Fin Handle Lid era... 

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~