Question:
I have an old tea pot it is a rooster chicken off white body, red comb and beard and the bottom has a little green around the bottom. On the bottom of the pot it has RED WING USA and # 257. I am wondering if this is a collectable piece and what it may be worth. Thank You for your help. Jeff

Answer: Red Wing introduced several figural teapots in 1944 as part of its Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line. Your rooster teapot #257 was among those teapots. But they were made only in solid colors. Most likely the glaze on your teapot is cream ivory (off white) and a previous owner cold painted the red and green colors. If the red and green can be scraped off, then it was added over the top of the glaze and is not original to the teapot. If the colors are under the glaze, then you have a rare and unusual piece.

A cream ivory #257 teapot with the cover and in excellent condition would be worth around $75. In my opinion the red and green colors detract from the value if they were added over the glaze. It depends on how thoroughly the red and green can be removed. If the red and green colors are under the glaze and cannot be scraped off, then the teapot would be a rare find and worth several hundred dollars. Any chips, cracks, hairlines, stains or other damage will reduce the value considerably.

Larry