Cousances - Is this a matte black glaze? How do I clean it?

[Abby Heller]

I had a fine day yesterday picking iron at goodwill. I found a nice big no. 10 Good Health, and a Wagner Ware dutch oven. I took a chance on this odd looking little pan because it felt really nice in my hand. When I got home I managed to clean off the bottom enough to see it says Cousances. Now I can see some obvious indicators of its French heritage, but when I think of French cast iron, I always think enamel. I read up on Cousances, and the best I can guess is this might be the matte black glaze? I'd like to just soak it in lye like I normally do, but I don't want to damage it if this is some sort of glaze. Do you know if it's coated, and how I should clean it? If you happen to know the age too, that would be a special bonus too. I couldn't find a ton of info online. Thanks!

[Jerry Cermack]

Cousances enameled cast iron skillets, pans, gratins, and pots were produced in the town of Ville Sur-Cousances and had features which distinguished them from their competitors, Le Creuset, Descoware of Belgium, and the Scandinavian Copco.  Among those features were the base, which was left without enamel (like Copco), but sealed against rust with the final glaze (unlike Copco), and the skillet design which was a French version of the classic American skillet popularized by Griswold and WagnerWare, having two pour spouts, a cast on handle, and a lifting tab on the largest of the handled skillets.  The French refinement of that skillet design included rounded sides for tossing/ sauteeing, and the lift tab being added to smaller skillets for easier pouring.

[Abby Heller]

Thanks. I've read that. It's that final glaze part I'm wondering about. This doesn't particularly *look* glazed, but then again I don't know what their matte black glaze looks like. I could not find one that does not have enamel, so I'm not sure if they made one with no enamel AND no glaze. Maybe it's a dumb question. I just don't want to ruin it with lye is all.