Information on the early artware made at the potteries in Red Wing is scant. During the 1880s an individual or group could commission an individualized stoneware presentation vase. In the 1890s Red Wing Stoneware companies produced lawn vases, cuspidors, and umbrella stands. These early items were produced in plain terra cotta and (according to the catalog of the Red Wing Stoneware Companies and John H. Rich Sewer Pipe Works, 1894) "specifically designed with a view to decorate them as taste may indicate."

The Red Wing Union Stoneware Company produced Brushed Ware beginning from some unknown date after the turn of the century until the early 1930s. This artware came in three finishes: Bronze-Tan, Dark Green-Tan, and Light Green-Tan. The production of Brushed Ware gradually ceased with the beginning of glazed-ware production in the late 1920s.

Ron Linde

This impressive Brushed Ware 12" urn with garlands and cupids appears as shape number 131 in Red Wing's 1931 sales flyer. It wholesaled for $30 per dozen.