Question:

Hello,

I am trying to determine if the dinnerware I have is from Redwing.  They are solid color (green and brown) and unmarked, however as you can see from the attached side by side pictures they have the same profile as Redwing concord shape (the shape is what leads me to wonder if they are Redwing).  Can you tell me if they are Redwing and If so what is the name of the color and their value. Please note, I am sending two emails because all of the pictures will not fit in a single email

I have:

12 dinner plates (green)
11 dessert plates (brown)
8 saucers (green)
2 platters (brown)
1 serving bowl (green)
1 gravy boat (brown)

Thanks in advance, Richard

Answer:

Yes, the solid colored pieces were made by Red Wing.  The name of the pattern is Quartette and the shape is Concord, which makes it a sister pattern to the Lotus pieces shown in your photos.

All Quartette pieces were available in four solid colors:  Copper Glow, Ming Green, Chartreuse and Mulberry.  Quartette was introduced in 1951, the same year as the Zinnia and Iris patterns.  Those two patterns share colors with Quartette.  Zinnia accessories were available in Copper Glow or Ming Green while Iris accessories were made in Chartreuse or Mulberry.

Values are similar to most other Concord patterns.  These values assume excellent condition.

Dinner plate:  $15-20
Dessert plate: $5-10
Saucer: $5-10
Platter:  $20-25
Serving bowl: $20-25
Gravy boat: $20-25

Larry

Question: . I really appreciate the resources your organization provides. I checked the references for the Pepe questions already answered, and find I have a few more to ask.

I have not seen any pricing for covered butter dishes, the coffeepot with lid, nor the teapot with lid.  Both of the latter are in excellent condition. 1 butter dish has a grayish 3/4″ swath on one side of the lid (production error?) and the other has a hairline crack in the lid.
What might the value of these be?
Also a question regarding condition:  if the serving pieces have little cracks in them, do they still have any value? I have the 2.5qt covered casserole with a 3/8″ long crack on the interior lip.   Additionally, it has what I would call “pinprick” discolorations on the inner rim (7) and the underside of the lid (7).  These appear to be places where the glaze didn’t take, which allowed brownish discoloration to occur.  This is also true of the covered bean pot casserole I have. It has 4 pinprick discolorations on the underside of the lid and 7 around the inner rim.  It also has a 1/16″ inch chip on the inner lid.  How much will these impact the value?
I also have a covered gravy boat with attached plate that has a production flaw crack in the lid.  It is a 3/4″ crack that extends from the spoon cutout to the underside of the lid. It is glazed over, so I assume a production flaw. It is not visible from the outside.  How much would this piece be worth?

I wondered if the price range of  $7-15 apiece for the dinner, salad and bread plates is still accurate.

I also have one serving plate (10″) with a metal handle, and another two-tiered plate (7 1/2″ and 6″) with metal joiner and handle.  I understand that these were novelty pieces and not really part of the dinnerware line.  Are they worth anything?

Lastly, my parents apparently were saving money when they bought 14 beige fleck small bowls (5″) to use with the Pepe dinnerware. I assume they are not worth much, but I thought I’d ask.

Oh yes, and I have a Red Wing art pottery vase, 3-handled, 8″high, 5″ diameter at the top and 3 1/2″ diameter at the bottom, blue with a pink interior.  As best I can make out the number 1167 is on the bottom above the Red Wing indentation.  This would not be for sale, but I am curious about its value.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions!

Sincerely,
Sue

Answer:

Thank you for taking the time to look through our archive our questions. Here the pieces that you inquired about.

Pepe salt and pepper  $20
Pepe butter dish $30-40
Lute Song ashtray $15-20
Tampico butter dish lid  $5 without the base
Lute Song ashtray $15-20
Turtle Dove salt and pepper $40-50
Magnolia spoon rest $50-60
Zinnia spoon rest $70-80
Merrileaf ashtray $15-20
Pompeii ashtrays $15-20 each
Hearthside cereal bowls:  $10-15 each

Question:

Hello, dear Red Wing experts. I bought recently the Red Wing plate which seems old. I could not find anything about it on internet. Could you, please, tell me how old is it? How much it costs? Thank you, Olga

Answer:

The plate in the photo is not a standard Red Wing production item.  Most likely it is a “lunch hour” piece made by a pottery worker for personal use.  It could also be a test piece for a potential new pattern that was not put into production.  The pinkish-red Red Wing ink stamp was used from 1950 to 1957.  Are there any other markings on the bottom of the plate?  The plate shape appears to be from the Provincial line but the photo is too small to be certain.  A photo of the entire bottom of the plate would also be helpful.

Red Wing lunch hour and test plates are unique pieces and can have significant value.  The value depends on condition of the plate, quality of the artwork, whether or not the artwork is interesting, and markings on the bottom of the plate.  Lunch hour pieces were usually signed or initialed by the artist on the bottom.  Some were made as gifts and have the recipient’s name or a phrase such as “Happy Mother’s Day” on the bottom.  Test pieces are often marked with glaze codes on the bottom.

From what I can tell this plate appears to be in good condition. I would give this plate a value of at least $500, possibly more depending on the presence of additional markings.  Cracks, chips, staining and other flaws will reduce the value significantly.  This is a very desirable piece!

Larry

Question:

Hello,

I am not sure is this is the correct way to contact your organization concerning a question I have but I thought that I would start here.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

I have a E.S USA water jar/cooler?  It appears to be about 1-2 gallon size.  It is green and in the style of the Butter Mold.  I have found so many of his pieces online but nothing

like the jar I have.  I wanted to know where I might find information about it as well as where I might possible find a lid? It is the only thing missing.

Thanks in advance,

Richard

Answer:

“E.S. USA” was the mark used for Ernest Sohn’s Butter Mold line.  Ernest Sohn was a well-known designer who contracted with various businesses to make products for his sales company. He specialized in serving pieces and buffet sets, not full dinnerware patterns. His dealings with Red Wing were not well documented, but the pottery produced at least two lines of dinnerware items for Sohn. “Butter Mold” is the name of the line to which your piece belongs. It consisted of serving pieces such as pitchers, teapots, casseroles, bowls, platters, etc. The pieces had a ribbed effect in the glaze, similar to Red Wing’s Village Green line. Butter Mold colors were dark brown, dark green, or yellow (uncommon). Each piece was marked with a design taken from a vintage butter mold. The design featured a fern and leaves enclosed by 5 rings, and included the letters ” E.S. USA”. Production years are uncertain but most likely fall between the late 1950s and early 1960s. An ad for Sohn’s Butter Mold line appeared in a February 1961 magazine.

To my knowledge no vintage documentation or sales brochure for the Butter Mold line has surfaced, so we don’t know how Sohn named and marketed his items.  It’s safe to say your item is a beverage dispenser or water cooler. The butter mold design appears twice on this piece; once as a decoration on the front (without E.S.USA) and again on the bottom complete with E.S. USA.  Value for this piece in excellent condition complete with cover and spigot would be around $150.  Your item lacks a cover, which will reduce the value by at least half.  Sorry but I have no idea where you might find a cover.  It’s a dilemma faced by all collectors who seek missing parts for a prized piece.

I’ve included two photos.  The first shows this item complete with cover and the second shows the full Butter Mold mark on the bottom.

Question:

We bought this Fondoso item for $18 yesterday at a flea market. We have a considerable number of Gypsy Trail pieces, but have never seen this, and it does not appear in any of our books. We thought it might be a casserole, but the rim is not flat to support a lid and it’s a little too shallow.

The inside has cloud-like whitish areas, which may be the result of its having been used as a planter and minerals having leached out of the soil, or it might have come that way from the factory. The dimensions are 12x5x2.5.

Can you identify the purpose and name of this item, whether it is a standard piece, and its approximate value? There is no damage. Thank you.

Barbara & Jim

Answer:

At least three items with the Fondoso design were sold as art pottery pieces rather than dinnerware.  Thus they don’t appear with other Fondoso items in modern books and guides because they weren’t included in the vintage dinnerware catalogs that are the basis for those books.

Art pottery price lists from 1940 and 1941 include your bowl as shape 903. The price list includes only shape number and cost, so I don’t know what Red Wing may have named this piece.  Most likely it was intended to serve as a table centerpiece or planter.  Shape 904 was a pair of candlesticks with the Fondoso design (similar in size and shape to the small Fondoso salt & pepper shakers).  Shape 974 was an 8.5 inch bowl, which was essentially a Fondoso casserole without a cover.

The white areas inside your bowl are residue from a previous use, most likely as a planter.  This is a common issue with planters and vases.  The value for a 903 bowl in excellent condition is around $50.  The whitish residue may reduce the value somewhat.

Larry

Question:

Hi. I acquired these 2 platters a few years ago and absolutely love them. I have been unable to find much info on them but I do believe I have correctly identified them as the 1964 Kashmir pattern. I would love confirmation and a value if possible.
Also, is it possible to locate more pieces or is this a hard to find pattern? I haven’t had a lot of luck finding many pieces to add to my collection.

The large platter measures 15 1/4″ by 10 3/4″ and unfortunately came to me with the damage you see.

The smaller platter measures 13″ by 9″ and is in excellent condition.

Thank you so much for any help you may be able to offer.

Sincerely,
Gina

Answer;

Yes, these platters are from the Kashmir dinnerware pattern.  Kashmir was introduced in 1965 and produced until Red Wing Potteries ended production in 1967.  The pattern is quite popular with collectors, including me.  I started building a set of Kashmir nearly 30 years ago and over time have managed to acquire nearly every piece in the set.  In my opinion it’s a great pattern to collect.  There is enough of it out there that you’ll find a piece you need now and then, but not so common that you’ll see it in every antique shop.  And Kashmir can occasionally be found listed on eBay and other online auctions.

Kashmir platters are worth around $25-40 each in excellent, undamaged condition.  The chip on the larger platter is obvious and will reduce the value significantly, down to the $5-10 range.

Larry

Question:

Hi, I have the Blue Katrina Cookie Jar that was my grandmothers. I know it was made in the early 1940’s and there was a Blue, Yellow and a Green one was made a couple of years later. Could you tell me what these beautiful cookie jars sold for originally. I have tried to find some advertising from that time frame but so far have not found anything.

Thank you so much.

Margy.

Answer:

Sorry, I don’t have any retail ads for the Katrina cookie jar so I can’t say with certainty what the price to consumers may have been.  But I do have Red Wing’s wholesale price to stores that purchased these jars directly from the pottery.  The wholesale price listed for 1941 to 1944 was $24 for a dozen cookie jars.  That’s $2 per jar, and Red Wing often discounted their prices significantly depending on the total size of the store’s order.

Red Wing also made a series of fruit-shaped jars during the same period.  The wholesale price for them was $18 per dozen, and a 1941 promotional piece showed the retail price as $1.50 per jar.

Putting this all together it is safe to assume the retail price for the Katrina jar back in the day was less than $5, and most likely in the $2 to $4 range.

Larry

Question:

Hi,

I am inquiring about the following piece of Red Wing dinnerware I inherited from my grandmother.  I can’t find the correct email address on your “Ask the Experts” section, so I’m sending it to the only email address I could find.

After reviewing your “Ask the Experts” archives, it appears that this 10.5″ x 10.5″ square-ish plate comes from the “Blossom Time” collection, which I think you stated was produced from 1950-55.  I’m wondering if the removable carrying handle was part of the original collection (and if the item thus has a name), and if it adds any value to the piece?  Or, was this handle a generic type of add-on from that era that people could add to plates/platters to make them more portable/versatile?  It is in excellent condition.

Thanks for your help.

Beth

Answer:

The photo shows a Blossom Time dinner plate with an attached metal carrying handle.  Blossom Time is one of many patterns made in the Concord shape.

The metal handle was not listed in Red Wing brochures or price lists.  It was an accessory that could be purchased separately.  The handle was sold by Roberts Colonial House, a company in Chicago.  There may have been a co-marketing agreement with Red Wing, or the handle may have been available for purchase at the Red Wing Pottery Salesroom.  The handle adds minimal value to the Blossom Time plate, perhaps an extra $5 or $10.

I’ve attached two photos of a new unused handle in its original cellophane packaging.  The packaging includes a photo of a handle on a Lotus dinner plate, a sister pattern to Blossom Time.  The Roberts Colonial House handle was sold in the early 1950s.  A few years later Red Wing began to make tidbit trays out of surplus plates by drilling a hole and adding hardware.  It seems likely the tidbit tray concept originated with Roberts Colonial House handle.

Larry

Question:

Hello Experts,

My question is-

How many King of Tarts were made total in each of the colors?

and are these all the colors?

multi colored

dusty blue

speckled blue green with black

cinnamon

pink with black

wheat

chartreuse

Thanks- Angela

Answer:

Sorry but I have no idea how many King of Tart cookie jars were produced in each of the colors.  I don’t have access to production numbers and to my knowledge no such documentation exists.

We do not have thorough documentation on the King of Tarts cookie jar.  I have brochures from 1955 and 1956 that list the available colors as Fleck Blue and Fleck Pink.  Production of the multicolor jar began in the 1940s as evidenced by jars with an ink stamp that was not used after 1949.  The other colors were likely produced in the early 1950s but we have no documentation of dates or available colors.

My list of available colors would include multicolored, fleck blue with black trim, fleck pink with black trim, dusty blue, rust, and yellow.  Most likely rust = cinnamon and yellow = chartreuse.  I am not aware of a “wheat” colored King of Tarts jar, but would not be surprised to learn there are additional colors that I’ve not seen.

Larry

Question:

I received these bowls from my Great-Aunt. I do not know if they are Red Wing Pottery. Could you please check into this for me. I am doing my own research on line on many of the other items but still need help with some. Thank you so much.

Yes, enjoying retirement but miss my clients so much as they became friends thru the years of service.

Myra

Answer:

The bowls in the photo were indeed made by Red Wing as part of their Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line.  They were introduced in 1940 and were listed in catalogs until 1943.  Many collectors refer to them as Brides bowls and that is the term used in the 1942 catalog.  But catalogs from other years named them Shower bowls or two-toned bowls.  They could be purchased individually, as a nest of five bowls in sizes 5-6-7-8-9 inches, or as a nest of six bowls with the additional 10 inch bowl.  Your nest includes six bowls and thus is the complete set.

Generally these bowls are worth $40-60 each if they are in excellent condition.  Some buyers may be willing to pay a premium to acquire a complete set like yours.  It’s a very nice set!

Larry