Question:
Hello~ I collect teapots, and recently I found a small orange-colored teapot (photo attached) with Red Wing very faintly impressed into the bottom (it appears I can only attach one photo here, but I do have a picture of the mark), with no other numbers or marks. I know that sometimes reproductions have very faint marks and I haven’t found this mark on any of the websites I’ve checked, which makes me doubt its authenticity. The teapot measures 5 inches tall and about 4 inches across and has no damage. You can see the impressed circular decoration in the photo. Can you give me your opinion as to whether it’s authentic, its approximate age, and value (if any)? Thank you! Anita

Answer: It is not at all uncommon to find genuine Red Wing items that are faintly marked. And of course there are many Red Wing pieces there were never marked at all. Marks made by ink stamp are an entirely different subject, but in the case of this little teapot the mark was impressed into the wet clay by the mold used to form the piece. The first few pieces formed by a new mold will have a clear crisp mark. The mark gets less crisp with each piece made, and by the end of the mold’s useful life the mark may be very light. Red Wing was a thrifty company and tended to use its molds as long as possible.

This teapot was introduced in 1940 as part of the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line and was made until 1942. Two sizes were available. Yours is the more common 2 cup size; the 5 cup size is much less common and quite difficult to find today. Red Wing catalogs refer to this style as "Streamlined". A water jug, covered ice box jug and casseroles in two sizes were also made in the Streamlined shape.

In my opinion there is no reason to believe this is not an authentic Red Wing teapot. I am not aware of any reproductions being made. Value for this 2 cup teapot is around $40 if it is in excellent condition.

Larry