When Red Wing Potteries closed in 1967 most of the company’s assets were sold to the public, including the molds used to form dinnerware and art pottery. Art schools and amateur potters obtained many of these molds. There was no effort on Red Wing’s part to remove or obliterate the Red Wing name from the molds since the company was no longer in business and had no interest in maintaining copyright protection. Thus it is quite common to find amateur or hobby shop pieces made from Red Wing molds with the Red Wing name on the bottom.
An experienced collector will learn to differentiate authentic Red Wing pottery from hobby shop pieces. Color is an important clue. Red Wing test and lunch hour pieces usually used glazes available in the shop. A “Red Wing” item in colors not seen on other Red Wing pieces is probably a hobby shop piece. Bright, garish colors and wild designs that don’t have the Red Wing “look” are another clue, although Red Wing also made items that would fit that description. Weight can be another telling factor. Amateur pieces are often made of light weight clay; if an item weighs considerably less than a comparable Red Wing piece it is probably not authentic. It is also possible to find amateur pieces that are heavier than the genuine Red Wing piece. Finally, pottery that has information scratched into the bottom is almost certainly not vintage Red Wing. Amateur artists and art school students usually scratch their name or initials and a date into the wet clay on the bottom of the piece. This practice is not found on authentic Red Wing dinnerware. Red Wing test pieces usually have hand drawn code numbers in ink on the back; they may also have color swatches. Lunch hour dinnerware is usually signed or initialed and dated by the artist in ink or with colored glaze on the back.
