Question:
Can you tell me if this teapot is Red Wing. It has no marks on the bottom. The color is kind of a greenie-yellow. If it is Red Wing could you tell me its age and worth. Thanking you in advance. Dee

Answer: This teapot is definitely Red Wing but it is not a standard production piece. The shape is named Fancy Free. Two patterns, Desert and Caprice, were made in the Fancy Free shape and these were full dinnerware sets. These patterns were introduced January 1952 and were discontinued within two years. Your teapot would have been made in the same time period.

The glaze on your teapot is very similar to Sand, one of the colors from the Town & Country pattern that was also made during this time. There are several possible reasons why such a piece was made. I am not aware of a full dinnerware set made in this color, but yours is the third such teapot I’ve seen. A customer may have placed a special order for a limited number of pieces glazed in this color. Red Wing often made in-house test pieces with colors and artwork "borrowed" from other patterns. A few Fancy Free pieces may have been glazed in this color to display at a trade show, perhaps in an effort to revive interest in the Fancy Free shape. It’s also possible these were "lunch hour" pieces made for personal use by a pottery worker, but these were usually signed or initialed on the bottom and have a unique personal decoration of some kind. My guess is these were part of a customer’s special order.

It’s tough to place a value on non-standard dinnerware pieces like this one. There simply aren’t enough of them sold to get an accurate reading. Red Wing teapots are popular with collectors, and an unusual one like this would undoubtedly attract interest. My estimated value is in the range of $200 to $400, assuming the teapot is in excellent condition.

Larry