Question:
My grandmother left me her salt & Pepper Collection and I have a piece in it that I would like to get more information about. It is a Quail set. the babies are the salt & pepper shakers and the mom has a bunch of holes in her back. Penny

Answer: Your birds are from the Bob White dinnerware pattern, Red Wing’s most popular and best-selling pattern. These birds are unique to the Bob White pattern; unlike most dinnerware items they were not used with any other pattern. Standard Bob White shakers were tall and shaped like an hour glass. In the late 1950s these bird-shaped salt & pepper shakers were introduced along with the larger hors d’oeuvre bird. Toothpicks with small bits of food such as cheese and meats were placed in the holes on the back of the hors d’ouevre bird. The shakers and hor d’ouevre bid could be purchased separately or as a set. Together the set represents a mother Bob White bird with two chicks, which is the design used on most dishes in the Bob White pattern.

The set sold very well and all of these birds are quite common today. The tails and combs on top of the birds’ head were easily chipped, so buyers must be careful to inspect for damage. Value for these items, assuming excellent condition: Pair of bird shakers $20-25; hors d’ouevre bird $25-30.

Larry