Question:
Hello- First, I really enjoy your website, it is fantastic. I have a couple of red wing dinnerware pieces, which I think are gravy boats. They look similar to the shape of the ‘flight’ pattern but they are the wrong color. Do you know which line they belong to? Also, one has a lid and the other doesn’t, were they both suppose to have lids / covers? Finally, the lid for the one does not fit on the lid to the other (slightly too small, but barely). Did they really have this similar of shape and different lids? They are both approximately 10 1/2 inches x 4 inches. What is an approximate value on these? Thanks so much and again really enjoy the website, very informative! Best, Justin

Answer: Thanks for your kind words about our website. It’s always nice to be appreciated! You do indeed have two gravy boats in the DuoTone shape (also known as Cylinder). Both gravy boats should have covers; they were not sold without covers. Flight was one of six patterns produced in the DuoTone shape, and it can be very difficult to determine the identity of some pieces in this shape. Pepe is easy to tell apart from the others because all pieces were decorated in bright shades of pink, orange and green. The flatware (plates and bowls) of the other five patterns are readily identified by their decoration. But hollowware (casseroles, pitchers, teapots, gravy boats, etc) are all similar shades of brown and it can be difficult to be sure of the identity of a single piece by itself. Your gravy boats appear to be from the Pompeii pattern, but Pompeii covers were light blue. The cover in your photo might be from the Turtle Dove pattern but I can’t be sure.

Red Wing dinnerware was infamous for having covers that fit poorly. I collect teapots and see this problem routinely. Covers and bases were made separately, then matched up when being prepared to ship. I’ve no doubt the workers switched around the covers until they found one that fit.

Value depends on the pattern involved. A soft tan gravy boat with bittersweet cover is from the Flight pattern and would be worth $50-75. A matching boat and cover from one of the other DuoTone patterns might be worth half as much. A gravy boat without a cover or with a mismatched cover would be worth only a few dollars.

Larry