Schleich Red Wing Pottery

A Brief History

Red Wing Pottery had its origins in the rich clay found in Red Wing, MN in the early 1860’s. The company would make its official debut in 1877 as the Red Wing Stoneware Company. Over the next 90 years, the company would have six incarnations, with the last being named Red Wing Potteries. During the remainder of the 19th century Red Wing manufactured stoneware which included salt glaze and bristol glaze "zink". Known as utilitarian stoneware, items included crocks, jugs, churns, bowls, jars and other pieces used in the home and on the farm.

With the beginning of the 20th century came the advent of electricity, refrigeration, glass and tin, and the decline of utilitarian stoneware. Like other pottery manufacturers, Red Wing looked to diversify starting with its first Art Pottery line in the late 1920’s. While Red Wing kept stoneware in production, by the end of World War II widespread refrigeration had rendered it obsolete. In 1947 the company ceased production of stoneware altogether.

During this same period, Red Wing had also moved into manufacturing dinnerware. Beginning in 1935, Red Wing made over 100 dinnerware patterns - many of them hand-painted. These stylish and beautiful patterns saw their heyday in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The pottery industry would evolve again in the 1950’s with low-tariff ceramic imports from Japan and an increase in plastic production. By the time Red Wing Potteries closed after a strike in 1967, it was the only commercial pottery in the U.S. still painting its ceramic dinnerware by hand. •

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