VINTAGE REDWING CROCKS

VINTAGE REDWING CROCKS

The vintage Redwing crocks are a very collectible item to have in your treasure cove of antiques. There usefulness today is as plentiful as in years gone by. Many Redwing collectors use the vintage Redwing crocks for planters, kitchen utensil holders, umbrella holders and of course to make pickles and a vast array of other uses for this distinguished crock. The vintage Redwing crocks of long ago were used as mainly storage for foods that had to be kept for a lengthy period of time. The knowledge of refrigeration and preservatives was not even known about when the vintage Redwing crocks were being used for food storage. The crocks where often put in the cellar to help keep food from spoiling. The vintage Redwing crocks come in many different sizes and styles. The Redwing crocks have withstood many hardships of use and abuse and are still very plentiful to find in many collectors’ homes. This heavy clay pottery will be here for many more years to come so that we can past them down to our children to cherish.

The Redwing Stoneware Company in Redwing, Minnesota started in 1877. It was one of the largest pottery and ceramic plants in the area. In 1883 another stoneware company started to make pottery and it was the Minnesota Stoneware Company, and then in 1892 yet another pottery company was formed and it was called North Star. Three pottery companies in the area were just too much competition for the pottery business. The three companies decided to merge into one unified pottery company in1894 and they were called Union Stoneware Company. Even though the three companies united in business they still retained their own business names under the Union Stoneware Company. North Star closed shop in 1896 and the other two united as one and became the Red Wing Union Stoneware Company. Red Wing Potteries, Inc. was the final name change for the company in 1936. The vintage Redwing crocks have several different markings on them that changed with the history of Redwing. The vast majority of the Redwing crocks have “Red Wing” written on them as an identifying mark. Other Redwing crocks may have the name Union Stoneware Co. and Minnesota Stoneware Co. as a mark. “RWSW Co.” was yet another type of mark that was found on many of the vintage Redwing crocks. The one mark that is truly the mark of a vintage Redwing crock is the stamped “wings” that is so familiar to all that collect antiques crocks.

Salt glaze was a very common glaze used on the antique Redwing crocks. It is one of the earliest glazes used on many of the potteries found in the history of the crock. Salt glazes came from Germany in the early 1500. The rock salt that was used on the clay reacts with the silica in the clay and the high heat of the kiln seals the crock. The crocks are then water tight and will not leak or become porous. The vintage Redwing crocks made before the 19th century are some of the best example of the salt fired or the salt glazed method. The cobalt slip was a way of applying a decoration to the “green ware” before the firing of the crock. A slip is watered down clay that is very thin and can be applied like a glaze. The slips on the inside of the crocks made a smooth and easily cleaned surface. The salt glaze used on the vintage Redwing crocks made an orange peel like texture that varied to some degree by the amount of salt that was applied. The different clays used to make the crocks also made a slight change in the coloring of the crocks. All of theses characteristic make the vintage Redwing crocks so popular with collectors of today.

The vintage Redwing crocks will always have a heritage in the history of crocks. They were made for everyday use in the early homes of long ago and have also earned a place in homes of today as collectors seek to find them. As you look at each crock you have to wonder what tales could be told about the history of each vintage crock. A treasure worth hunting to find and displaying in your home can only be a vintage Redwing crock and that is “NO CROCK”.