The Contemporary line was unusual for several reasons. It consisted of only two patterns, but one of them included 25 different pieces while the other had only 12. Most of the pieces had three short legs and a bulbous pot belly shape. The casseroles and salt & pepper shakers had hollow handles that stuck straight out from the sides. Though both patterns were short-lived, there were several variations of the names Red Wing used for them. The odd shapes and color schemes of Contemporary pieces leave no doubt they were made in the 1950s.
White and Turquoise Years: 1955-1956
Contemporary White, White and Turquoise, and White with Turquoise were names used by Red Wing in their literature. The artwork was a vertical arrangement of turquoise ovals separated by thin black lines on a white background. The tops of the salt & pepper shakers and the tops of knobs on covers were black.
White and Turquoise was not a full dinnerware pattern as only 12 serving pieces were made: salt & pepper, casseroles in two sizes, bean pots in two sizes, water pitcher, 12″ salad bowl, marmite, munch jar, and canisters in three sizes. It’s a mystery as to why no plates, bowls and other tableware were made in White and Turquoise since the molds were made for sister pattern Spruce. But the July 1955 brochure that introduced the Contemporary line made clear those pieces were not available in the White and Turquoise design. There is speculation that White and Turquoise was intended to be used with Kermis. Both had similar color schemes and were introduced the same year.
Spruce Years: 1955-1957
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Contemporary Spruce and Spruce Green were the names used by Red Wing for this pattern. The artwork for Spruce was similar to White and Turquoise but with different colors. Spruce had gray ovals separated with thin brown lines, with a turquoise swatch inside each oval. The background color was gray-green and a fleck green overglaze covered it all. Unlike White and Turquoise, the tops of the shakers and knobs were not colored differently than the background color.
The original 1955 Spruce lineup included all 12 pieces made in White and Turquoise plus the following: plates in three sizes, soup/salad/cereal bowl (with 3 legs), cup, saucer, creamer, sugar, 15″ platter. In 1956 a nappy bowl was added. And while not shown in any Spruce brochure, the July 1957 dealer price list included three new Spruce items: Beverage server with cover, sauce/fruit bowl (no legs), and small platter. Because they were made very briefly, these three items are more difficult to find than other Spruce pieces. The Spruce beverage server had an elongated spout that resembled the stick handle found on the casseroles.
