Question:
I was recently given my Mother’s wedding dishes. I believe they are the lotus pattern(square plates with a lily on them, cups are chartreuse).My parents were married in 1946. I want to know how I can purchase more pieces. I was always told by my Mother they were "discontinued" and unavailable. That comment was prior to internet. My daughter is crazy about them and would like to expand the set. I just joined your society today. Looking to buy! J Greenfield

Answer: Your mother wasn’t fibbing. The Lotus pattern was discontinued in 1957 and the Red Wing Potteries closed in 1967, so new Lotus dinnerware was indeed discontinued and unavailable.

Lotus sold very well for Red Wing and supplies today remain relatively plentiful. Lotus can be found in antique shops, second hand stores and at antiques shows, especially in the upper Midwest. It is also readily available on eBay, the internet auction site. One can almost always find a handful to a few dozen pieces of Lotus listed at any given time. Since you are now a member of the Red Wing Collectors Society, you might also consider placing a classified ad in the RWCS Newsletter. The RWCS holds two annual events where lots of Red Wing pottery is bought and sold . The midwinter event is held in February and the annual convention is in July.

You will likely be interested in a Red Wing dinnerware website that prominently features Lotus. You’ll find photos of all the various pieces made in the Lotus pattern, including many rare pieces. The owners of this website (Todd and Ivy) are serious collectors of Lotus. Initially the website was devoted to only Lotus dinnerware; eventually they expanded it to include other Red Wing patterns. Go to http://www.redwingdinnerware.com/, then select Master Index from the column on the left. Find the Lotus plate (far right side) and click on it. All patterns in the Concord shape will appear in the column on the left side. Scroll down to the Lotus plate and click on it. A large photo of a Lotus plate will now appear. Now scroll further down the left side to "Dinnerware" and click on it. All of the various Lotus pieces will appear in the left column. Click on any of these pieces to display a large photo and text. Enjoy!

Larry