Question:

hello- i collect red wing and have since 1992 when i bought my first vase. however, back in the 90s i found a piece at an estate sale which i have never seen another even remotely like it. it’s a shallow bowl on a footed base, in the stonware material with relief pictures of people dancing and flowers. it says simply “Red Wing usa” on the bottom. help!! i would love to know value and time period, design style, etc!! thanks! stephanie

Answer:

According to a July 1942 sales brochure, you have an “Incised Peasant” Salad Bowl. It is one of three items available in the Incised Peasant design. The other two are a Cookie Jar and a Munch Jar (low and squat in shape). The bowl is the only piece marked Red Wing. All three items were available in three colors: Brown, Green and White. These items were produced during the World War II years.

Unlike most Red Wing hand painted pottery, the peasant figures were cold painted (over the glaze). Because the colors are not sealed under the glaze they are easily removed. After 60-some years many of these pieces have lost a considerable amount of their original paint . That appears to be the case with your bowl as only a bit of paint on the faces of the dancers remains. An “all white” bowl is merely a cold painted bowl that has lost its paint over time.

An Incised Peasant Salad Bowl in excellent condition and with intact original paint would be worth $25 to $40, with the white color on the low end and green on the high end. Loss of paint detracts from the value, as do any chips and cracks.