It's the kind of discovery that makes any treasure hunter's heart skip a beat: the warehouse of a now-shuttered pottery studio in the Loire Valley of France, filled with a collection of classic French stoneware that is as beautiful as it is functional.

The Poterie Renault company began in 1847 in the small village of Argent-sur-Sauldre, France. For five generations, the Renault family produced their beautiful stoneware from the local grey clay. The pottery studio's doors are now sadly closed and their once-busy kilns are quiet, but these authentic, unused pieces tell the story of the soul-nourishing French kitchen.

Found in the Poterie Renault warehouse, a cache of unused vintage stoneware individual au gratin baking dishes (also known as Welsh Rarebit dishes in the restaurant business) with the handsome practicality you'd expect in a well-equipped French kitchen. Glazed in deep russet brown with a light tan interior and featuring handles at both ends, the Vintage French Stoneware Au Gratin Baker will be the perfect vessel for a single serving of gratin dauphinois, or perhaps creamy crab dip, roasted vegetables or even reheated leftovers.

Going from oven to table with confident French style, this supremely practical dish is sure to become a much reached-for addition to your kitchen.

Strictly limited quantities and subject to prior sale. Dishwasher, Microwave and Oven Safe. In excellent, unused vintage condition. Measures approximately 1.125" high x 8.5" in length x 4.5". 8 ounce capacity.

Learn More About the Poterie Renault

It all began in 1847 when Louis Stanislas Renault built a pottery workshop in the orangery of the Argent-sur-Sauldre château, located in the village of the same name in the Loire Valley of France. With a passion for classic French cookware, Monsieur Renault produced authentic pieces that were not only beautiful, but meant for practical, everyday use in the French kitchen. From cooking pots to casserole dishes to deep tureens for pâté, his cookware pieces were created with both classical and regional designs that were the perfect marriage of form and function. 

Success came quickly to the family-owned Poterie Renault company and by 1865, they had outgrown their small orangery studio and built a larger manufacturing facility in the same village. Now with room to expand their offerings, Poterie Renault began producing a new range of stoneware: salt pots, condiment jars, butter and milk pots, wine pitchers and vinegar jugs all kiln-fired with durable, non-porous glazes that ensure the pieces are well suited for food storage.

With both their original cookware and their new stoneware lines, the company entered the 20th-century producing quality pieces not only for the home cook, but also for professional chefs in the commercial kitchens of hotels and restaurants. Over the decades, Poterie Renault remained committed to Louis Renault's founding vision of creating well made, unfussy wares that were not only beautiful in their artisanal quality, but practical for daily use. 

After nearly 170 years producing classic pieces for the kitchen, the family-owned Poterie Renault closed its doors in 2011. The kilns are now quiet and the factory sits still. Thankfully, these rescued pieces from the Poterie Renault warehouse are available to use and enjoy - lasting mementoes bringing the spirit of the French kitchen to your home today.