From: Wally Armstrong armst101@aol.com
Location: Monroe, WA
Date: 4/17/00
Time: 4:39:52 PM
Sublimedesign --- In 1929 Red Wing spent $300,000 to build a "Tunnel Kiln" that would run continiously 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year at 4 and 2/3 feet an hour. In order to pay for this they started pushing their art pottery. About 1930 they came up with a new glaze that was an ashen grey-green with touch of tan, made to to resemble the weather-beaten face of Hiawatha's Grandmother and her name in the "Song of Hiawatha" was Nokomis. The original Nokomis finish was produced for a line of 14 pieces but was others were glazed with the Nokomis finish bringing it up to 130 different pieces by 1931. It evedently didn't sell well because there is so little of it avalable now.
I can't tell you the value of the piece you have because I don''t know the mold number. On the bottom of the vase you have should have a number incised in the bottom and also a round blue stamp saying "Red Wing Art Pottery. Let me know what the number is and I may help you.