Question:
Hello – Lucky me – Today I acquired a covered casserole and charger in what turns out to be the WREATH pattern. It’s unmarked. Found the pattern in my RW Stoneware guide. It matches the plate that’s listed, but no other pieces are shown. It’s a light green color with some of the bisque showing through, like the glaze is washed on. The charger measures 10" and is MINT. The casserole dish measures 8" diameter, 3 1/2" tall and is mint except for some silver scratching on the inside. The lid is 8 1/4" diameter and has two hairlines, one near the knob, the other on the edge. It also has a good deal of crazing. What can you tell me about this piece(s)? Years of production, value, and if possible, how popular was this line? It’s beautiful and I only paid $3.00!

Answer: For $3 you’ve made a very nice buy. Unfortunately there is little I can tell you with any certainty about this pattern because no documentation has been found. We don’t even know the true name of the pattern. Early Red Wing collectors called it "Wreath" because of the design but likely it is not the official Red Wing name. We’d love to find some original Red Wing company documents or trade literature on this pattern, but until then we can only speculate.

We do know these pieces we call Wreath were made by Red Wing because a few marked sugar bowls and creamers have been found. The mark is a blue ink stamp that states "Red Wing Potteries" in a circle around a star. This mark was used in the mid-1930s. It is also found on some of the earliest Gypsy Trail #565 coffee servers, and Gypsy Trail was introduced in 1935. Most likely Wreath was made prior to Gypsy Trail, but again there is no documentation of the production dates. My theory: Wreath was Red Wing’s first attempt at a dinnerware line, but it was dropped when Red Wing and George RumRill collaborated to produce Gypsy Trail.

Larry