Question:
I have an interesting Red Wing Potteries dish(maybe bulb planter???). It measures about 9" across at the widest with handles. It is bottom marked: "C REDWING POTTERIES INC. DESIGN PAT. PENDING". This marks looks a little unusual to me. I am guessing it dates to the late 30s early 40s and it was a transitional piece between the round blue ink stamp on some of the early art pottery pieces and the more normal looking mark followed by USA and/or a number. I would like to know if there is a pattern name to this piece, if the bottom mark is rare and/or collectible, and what would the book value be? Thanks Jon from Iowa

Answer:

The name of this pattern is Fondoso and it is one of the patterns in the Gypsy Trail line. Fondoso was introduced in 1939 with a full complement of dinnerware pieces. In subsequent years items were dropped from production and by 1942 only a few Fondoso pieces remained in the Gypsy Trail catalog. The item in the photo is the bottom of a casserole; it should have a cover. The unusual mark found on the bottom of many Fondoso pieces is said to involve a dispute with George RumRill. Red Wing had a marketing agreement with RumRill that dissolved in 1938. Supposedly there were concerns that RumRill would attempt to steal the Fondoso design, so Red Wing included the copyright symbol and the words “Design Pat Pending”. Some collectors may seek this mark as an oddity for their collection, but it is readily found on larger Fondoso items and thus doesn’t increase the value significantly. The value for a Fondoso casserole without a cover would be low, in the $5-10 range.

Larry