R.I.P. – The rare and elegantly unique form known to certain ceramic collectors as “Hot Beverage Server/Red Wing/Driftwood/1957.

The fine example of American mid-century ceramics passed out of this realm and into a landfill due to an accident attributed to the collector’s nearsightedness and a mishap involving a dropped skillet. Alcohol was not involved.

Attempts to repair the breakage were unsuccessful and resulted in crazy glue “just all over everywhere.”

Hot Beverage Server was 58 years old, manufactured in Minnesota and remained in mint condition with no cracks or crazing until the time of the accident.

Donations in memory of H.B.S. may be made in the name of “Aunt Alice” to The Red Wing Collector’s Society.

A silent funeral service for the rare form was held on the couch in the living room last night. In attendance were several valued objects from the collector’s personal cache of meaningful things including; the six Campus Cuties, an actual piece of driftwood, a red winged Breezy Singer, the blue marble egg and John Badum’s bell (which was silenced as a poignant gesture of the group’s quiet mourning. Other Driftwood ’57 examples from Red Wing’s first ever dish washer safe line of ceramics attended the service also and included the sugar bowl, salt and pepper and the sadly veiled butter dish. A framed photo of the Hot Beverage Server was displayed behind the remains and recalled it’s once elegant curved handle that now layed useless and fractured near the small swirl topped hand painted lid of the turquoise glazed ceramic.

click photo to enlarge

Clay to Bisque

Bisque to Glazed

Fragile finery gone forever.

Thank- you for your sympathies as I grieve for the loss of this used twice but admired daily Red Wing showstopper.

FYI – Hot beverages will now be served individually in Barbra or Judy mugs only until further notice.