From: Gary Tefft / locustent@aol.com
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Date: 05 Jun 1999
Time: 00:28:15
One-gallon jugs with "patent porcelain stoppers" were also shown in the Red Wing Line catalog, which we show on page 138 of Red Wing Potters & Their Wares. I've never seen an example either, David. It is on one hand difficult to imagine Red Wing not making their own ceramic stoppers, but the statement that they were patented might suggest that they were purchased. The term "elephant ears" originated on the Planes of Central Africa, many thousands, nay millions, of years ago. (I'm surprised that you didn't know this.) Shortly after the first elephants evolved up a branch of the same family tree as the royal family of Great Britton. More recently, Lyndon Viel used the term that seminal Red Wing collectors were using to discribe the large out-turned leaves on some Union Stoneware Company pieces in his book Clay Giants. I don't know how widespread the use of this discriptive term had become by 1977, when the book came out. Though neither of the principals are living any longer for us to ask them, I remember Lyndon relating that William Cavenaugh "Cav" Brown of Cedarberg, Wisconsin was the source of many of the nicknames that are now so familiar to Red Wing collectors. Cav was a retired career Army officer (30+ years, purple heart recipient in WWII and Korea, achieved rank of general, earned congressional medal of honor.) who took-up, along with his wife, pottery collecting and antique dealing after retirement in the late 1960's.
-Gary-
-Gary-