Most people associate Red Wing stoneware with the trademark “red wing” marking. But like most of America’s early stoneware companies, the clay industry in Red Wing actually started with the manufacturing of tan colored salt glazed wares – a practice that began in 1877 and continued for about 20 years. These primitive pieces were often decorated with artistic cobalt blue representations of items like leaves, butterflies, flowers, birds, etc. and sealed with a brown “Albany slip” glaze on the interior to keep the contents from seeping into the porous clay.
It’s estimated that only 20 percent of Red Wing’s salt glaze pieces were signed on the side, so identifying a piece as Red Wing can be tricky for those who are new to collecting. However, there are several characteristics that help attribute a piece to Red Wing, including form, decoration and clay/glaze color. For tips on identifying Red Wing stoneware, click here.
