“China by Red Wing” was the name used for this line in Red Wing literature. But the company used the term True China in their marketing strategies and marked most flatware with a True China ink stamp, thus that is the name commonly used by collectors. A small rectangular advertising plaque that stated “True China by Red Wing” was made for merchants to place in their store window. These plaques had white letters and a white border and were made in several colors including blue, tan and beige fleck. Today they are quite uncommon and valuable.
China clay was used to make the True China line, as opposed to the earthenware clay used for most Red Wing dinnerware. This difference was emphasized as the company continued to seek an edge in their struggle against the competition. As with the Futura line, True China patterns that did not perform well in the marketplace were promptly dropped and replaced, making several of the eight True China patterns quite difficult to find today.
Four of the eight True China patterns were available in 1959 and all eight patterns were available in 1961. By 1962 two of the patterns were limited to only place setting pieces, and by 1966 only Lute Song remained as a full, intact pattern.
All True China pieces were available for all patterns; there were no special pieces produced for any one pattern. A 6-piece relish dish, unique to True China patterns, was introduced. This item consisted of a large flat base with short sides that held five individual relish dishes. Each piece was marked with a number, 1 through 6. The base by itself could easily be mistaken for a platter and was marked Red Wing USA 1. A complete 6-piece relish dish in any of the patterns is difficult to find and quite valuable. Another new item was the individual ashtray, a very small bulb-shaped bowl with a channel to hold a single cigarette. The bottom of the ashtray was marked with a unique, triangle-shaped ink stamp that was not used on any other piece. Brochures dated 1959 included four fewer items than brochures dated 1960 and later. The butter dish, bread tray, celery tray and individual ashtray were the four pieces not available in 1959. True China brochures included a warranty against breakage for one year.
Majestic Years: 1959-1965 Place settings only 1966-1967
All Majestic pieces were solid white in color. As described in the brochure, “The beauty of Majestic white china for your table gives a sparkle of elegance to casual, modern or traditional settings”. Apparently most Majestic was sold to churches and other civic organizations that served food to large groups of people. When Majestic is found today it is usually in large lots that include many plates, cup and saucers but few other pieces. All Majestic hollow ware is very difficult to find.
Granada Years: 1959-1961 Place settings only 1962
In general, larger pieces of Granada displayed a hand painted pattern with squares of floral, leafy artwork in varying shades of brown and yellow against a white background, while smaller pieces were solid rust colored. Some pieces had rust interiors and white exteriors, others had the colors reversed. Covers for the casserole, sugar bowl and gravy boat were patterned, while the little covers for the beverage server and teapot were rust. Some controversy exists whether solid white beverage server and teapot covers were also intended to be used with Granada, or if they are merely latter day replacements for missing rust colored covers. The Granada brochure provides no clue since it included only undecorated silhouette images. It’s also possible white covers were used in place of rust as Granada production neared the end.
Mediterrania Years: 1959-1961 Place settings only 1962
Mediterrania was similar to Granada in that some pieces were patterned while others were solid colored or a mix of both. The Mediterrania pattern featured small blue and green leaves on a vine or branch, set against a white background. The solid color was a fairly dark blue. The brochure described Mediterrania as a “Lovely floral design in the blue and green tones of the sea”. As with Granada, larger covers were white with a bit of the hand painted pattern. The teapot and beverage server covers were solid white.
Lute Song Years: 1959-1967
Lute Song was easily the most successful of the True China patterns. The design on larger Lute Song pieces included three different stringed instruments in shades of brown, black and turquoise against a beige fleck background. Smaller pieces had room for only one or two of the instruments. Some pieces also included Japanese letters that, when translated into English, supposedly stated “Lute Song”. Most Lute Song pieces can be found quite readily, but the beverage server and teapot are not so easy to find. Both 13” and 15” platters can be found with “CHINA” in raised letters on the bottom.
Merrileaf Years: 1960-1965 Place settings only 1966-1967
Merrileaf was the second best selling pattern in the True China line. The pattern consisted of leaves and sheaves of grain in “subtle, smoky tones” of blue-green and brown against a white background. The colors were very light, nearly pastel in appearance.
Vintage Years: 1960-1963 or 1964 Place settings only 1964-1965
Like Merrileaf, the colors in the Vintage pattern were very light. The design consisted of light purple grape clusters on the vine with leaves of light gray on a white background. The brochure described the design as “Delicate as gracefully draped lace. Subtle yet powerful in the patina of soft amethyst and old pewter.” Vintage is difficult to find today.
Crocus Years: 1961-1963 or 1964 Place settings only 1964-1965
The Crocus pattern had a repeating oval and line design. This usually appeared along the rim or around the side. The design was a series of ovals (half reddish-pink, half purple) with a thin green line between each oval. The background color was white. Crocus was described as “Red Wing’s new modern floral approach. Designed in vivid pink and subtle purple, accented with strokes of green.” Today Crocus is tough to find and commands high prices.
Daisy Chain Years: 1961-1963 or 1964 Place settings only 1964-1965
Like Crocus, Daisy Chain had a repeating design that usually appeared along the rim or around the side of a given piece. As the name implied, the design featured a chain of daisies along with thin leaves in various colors. As described by the brochure “A circle of beauty in a sparkling new design of gray daisies accented with leaves of rust, brown, chartreuse and dark green.” White was the background color. Another pattern that is difficult to find today.
