Cathrineholm Norway Lotus small pan with lid retailer casserole butterscotch sixties 1960's enamelware enamel Norwegian design mid century modern

In this listing we are pleased to offer a small pan with lid from the famous Lotus line of Cathrineholm, Norway.

Made from enameled metal.

The color is butterscotch (sometimes referred to as mustard) with chrome accents for the handles and knob of the lid.

We are selling off our modestly small Cathrineholm lotus collection of pans in various sizes and colors so please check our other listings as well if you are interested in buying several pieces. Of course we combine shipping.

Pattern design by Arne Clausen and shape design Grete Prytz Kittelsen.

Apart from the great color, pattern and shape the pan also stands out for the design off the handles, which are shaped from a one piece chromed metal frame that is squeezed over the pan. It is removable.

Lastly we want to highlight the nice design of the knob of the lid.

About the company and designers
(Information partly taken from Wise Apple vintage Blog and Norwegian newspaper)
The Cathrineholm company was located in Norway from roughly 1907 – 1970, and the Lotus pattern was produced during the mid to late 1960s. The forms and colors of the lotus line were created by one of Cathrineholm's most famous in-house designers, Grete Prytz Kittelsen. Kittelsen was a huge influence on Scandinavian design throughout the sixties, and won many prizes for her work with enamel, gold, and other metals. She was known for her use of bold colors, minimal designs, and ultra simple, clean lines.

Though Kittelsen is often credited for the lotus pattern, it was actually another Cathrineholm employee, Arne Clausen, who designed the beloved pattern itself. In fact, Kittelsen was rumored to not like the pattern at all. She preferred dishes and plates in one color without distraction. Rumor also has it that Kittelsen's pieces were distributed to a test market of Norwegian house wives in Halden in a variety of patterns and that the lotus pattern was favored by a landslide. Apparently, the dishes were then put into production adorned with Clausen's lotus pattern without Kittelsen's full approval.

During its relatively short production run during the 1960s, the Lotus line came in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Pieces included plates, bowls, coffee pots, kettles, canisters, spice jars, salt and pepper shakers, and cookware. A few of the pieces (kitchen canisters and spice jars) were outsourced to Japan for production instead of being made at the Cathrineholm plant in Norway. These pieces are a bit harder to find, and can sometimes be found with the original ‘Made in Japan' foil label still attached. Lotus was very popular in Denmark and the Danish porcelain manufacturer Lyngby got a license to use the lotus pattern on its porcelain ware in the early 1970s.

It is through this Danish connection that in 2013 the Danish company Lucie Kaas signed a license deal with the heirs of Arne Clausen to reproduce Lotus in an extensive ceramic line which is boldly called the Arne Clausen collection!

The Lotus series contains some of the most recognizable pieces of midcentury kitchenware, and certainly the most famous pieces to come out of the Cathrineholm factory.

Not marked but signed all over.

Measurements:
Height with lid: 12 cm / 4.72 inches
Rim height pan: 9.5 cm / 3.74 inches
Width with handles included: 25.3 cm / 9.96 inches
Outer diameter at the top rim: 19.6 cm / 7.72 inches
Diameter at the bottom: 15 cm / 5.91 inches
Height of the lid: 3 cm / 1.18 inches
Diameter of the lid: 18.8 cm / 7.40 inches
Diameter of the knob: 6 cm / 2.36 inches

Weight: 1272 grams.

Condition:
Fair to good condition.

This is a well used pan that shows its age and use but is sill usable, apart from a pleasure to look at.

Outside of the pan has white (in the butterscotch leafs) and black dots and scratches, the latter mostly towards the bottom rim where there are also five roughly same size chips off the white enamel, showing the black iron below. There is one additional chip off just below the chromed frame. The chromed frame also left a few black rubbing traces in the enamel.

Where the chromed frame is squeezed over the pan there are also some (normal) signs in the enamel but there are out of sight.

Inside of the pan is clean, still quite fresh white. The enamel is clearly duller and fine scratches can be seen. There is one 5 millimeters / 0.19 inches round chip off the bottom rim and three parallel scratches towards the upper rim, all three about 8 millimeters / 0.31 inches in length.

Lastly there are needle point size black dots here and there.

Bottom side of the pan has strong ingrained burn marks from gas flames, especially in the middle although it is clean. Moreover the protective black coating worn off at the outer rim, laying the iron below bare which consequently started to rust.

Chromed frame in good condition. No deformations. There are a few dots of blemish/roughness here and there. These do not look rusted at this point.

The lid is in reasonably good condition. Very faint and short scratches, mostly on the bottom side. The bottom side is clearly duller from cooking heat/steam. Chromed knob still shiny. Unlike with the saucepan the rim of this pan (and the other ones for that part) had no protection and was not covered with enamel retailer either. This has left these rims quite vulnerable and these have nearly always started to rust and the rust often provoked small chipping. This is exactly what happened with this pan: so there is rust and fine pen point size chipping all around.

Lastly on the bottom side where the knob is attached to the pan there is some chipping off the enamel and where the enamel is off rust has appeared.

Please refer to the pictures to get the best impression.

We have many more pictures available of this item. Do not hesitate to ask for them in case of doubt.