Question:

I inherited a couple Red Wing Pottery pieces and would like to get information on them.

The water cooler came out of a family farm estate in Wisconsin and was in my parents’ house for the last fifty years.  In the front oval it say Red Wing Union Stoneware.  There are no cracks in it but there are two tiny chips on the top as can be seen in one of the photos.  One of the chips looks like it is a flaw that occurred in the firing process, but I am not sure.  It has the number 3 on the bottom, inside the cooler.

The pitcher has two cracks as seen in the photos.  There are also three small chips on the inside rim.

Any information and estimated values would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael

Answer:

Michael, your 3 gallon Red Wing water cooler is the early hand turned cooler which was produced just after 1917 to the early 1920′s.  The small flakes on the rim are quite minor and the bubble burst on the rim is quite small as well.  These minor imperfections have little impact on its value. As I see it with no lid or spigot, the value on your cooler is right around $300.  Now the blue & white cattail pitcher has quite a bit of damage.  It was produced in the late 20″s and would have a value in the area of $15 to $20.  Al Kohlman