Category Archives: Ceramics

Fiesta 201: Part Six Fiesta Kitchen Kraft – Pie Plate and Refrigerator Set

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label. Image from thepotterypapers.blogspot.com

                                                                                                    CLICK HERE FOR PART FIVE

The Pie Plate and Refrigerator set will be the subject of part six of DrivingForDeco’s on going series about Fiesta Kitchen Kraft.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft 9 1/2 Inch & 10 1/2 Pie Plates

 

Red Fiesta Kitchen Kraft pie plate, with original paper label.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft red pie plate, with intact original paper label. Photo from liveauctioneers.com.

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

9 Inch Pie Plate original price: blue, yellow, green $0.45 ($8.67 in 2021); red $0.60 ($11.56 in 2021).

 

Three Fiesta Kitchen Kraft pie plates, 9 inch size. Blue, yellow and green glazes.

9 inch Fiesta Kitchen Kraft pie plates in blue, yellow and green. Photo from liveauctioneers.com.

Pie plates were a standard piece in most pottery companies lines in the 1930s. And Homer Laughlin’s Kitchen Kraft was no different. In 1936 Royal Metal Manufacturing Co, commissioned Homer Laughlin to create a pie plate for use with their metal holder. This pie plate measured 10 1/2 inches.

 

10 inch pie plate, Fiesta yellow glaze and chrome holder.

The 10 inch version of the pie plate in the Fiesta yellow glaze and Royal Manufacturing chrome holder. Photo from vintageamericanpottery.com.

 

With the introduction of the Homer Laughlin’s Kitchen Kraft the following year a slightly smaller version of the Royal Metal pie plate, actually 9 3/4 inches, joined the line. In 1938 by glazing the smaller pie plate in red, green, blue and yellow became part of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. While only the “9 inch” pie plate made it on the price list, there are enough “10 inch” plates dipped in the Fiesta colors to suggest that is was an available option.

 

A comparison of the two sizes of pie plates, both in Fiesta Kitchen Kraft colors.

A comparison of the two pie plate sizes, a 10 inch plate in yellow and a 9 inch one in the cobalt blue glaze. Photo from liveauctioneers.com.

Today, it is somewhat easy to find the pie plates in both sizes. And their value on the collector’s market reflects this. But like most utilitarian items, the pie plates were well used and it may be a bit harder to find one in good to excellent condition.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft 9 Inch Pie Plate: Book value: $31.00 – $46.00 *. Current market prices: $49.00 with metal holder (mercari.com);   $120.00 for a group of three pie plates, red, green and blue (Strawser Auction Group); $65.00 for blue & $85.00 for red (vintageamericanpottery.com). **

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft 10 Inch Pie Plate: Book value: $34.00 – $46.00 *. Current market prices:  $12.00 yellow, $75.00 blue (eBay); $75.00 green (vintageamericanpottery.com). **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%

 

Refrigerator Set

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set with green, yellow and blue bowls and a red lid. And intact paper labels.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator or Stacking Set in all the regular colors and intact paper labels. Photo from zandkantiques.com.

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green, ivory+

Refrigerator Set Bowl original price: blue, yellow, green $0.35 ($6.74 in 2021); red $0.45 ($8.67 in 2021).

Refrigerator Set Lid original price: blue, yellow, green $0.15 ($2.89 in 2021); red $0.20 ($3.85 in 2021).

 

An all green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set.

An all green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set. Photo from vintageamericanpottery.com.

Back in 2017 Driving For Deco took a brief look at the refrigerator set as part of the 1940 Fiesta promotional campaign. Now we will look at the set as part of the Kitchen Kraft line. In early 1937 Homer Laughlin designer Frederick Rhead designed a storage bowl and lid for the Jewel Tea Company. It did not go into production. As the Kitchen Kraft line was developing in the spring of 1937, Rhead created two versions of the refrigerator bowl. One featured lug handles; one did not. Neither of these designs went into production. With only a slight modification to the design of the Jewel Tea Company bowl, Rhead turned it into the Kitchen Kraft refrigerator set. It is sometimes called a stacking set.

 

All the individual units of the Refrigerator Set.

The individual units of the Refrigerator Set, bowls and lids. Photo from zandkantiques.com.

Like all items in the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft the refrigerator set came in the standard colors of red, blue, yellow and green. White and Ivory glazed set with decals were offered in the Kitchen Kraft line. But a few non decal sets in the ivory glaze have surfaced over the years. But these are so rare that they usually sell for premium prices on the collector’s market.

 

Rare Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set in the ivory glaze.

Rare Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set in Ivory. Photo from strawserauctiongroup.com.

 

Refrigerator sets, as a complete set or in their individual components, are not easy to find today, especially the lids. So expect to pay a pretty high price to add a complete set to a collection.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set Bowl (red, blue, green and yellow glazes): Book value: $41.00 – $66.00 *. Current market prices:  $40.00 (ebay); $83.95 (replacements.com) **

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Set Lid (red, blue, green and yellow glazes): Book value: $80.00 – $110.00 *. Current market prices:  $25.00 for a yellow lid with a chip (ebay). **

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Refrigerator Complete Set (red, blue, green and yellow glazes): Book value:  $203.00 – $330.00 *. Current market prices:  $235.00 – $295.00 (ebay); $395.00 – $450.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com); The Ivory set sold for $650.00 at a recent auction. **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%

 

Part Seven in DrivingForDeco’s series on Fiesta Kitchen Kraft will take a look at the platter and covered jug.

CLICK HERE FOR PART SEVEN

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)

Fiesta 201: Part Five Fiesta Kitchen Kraft – Fork, Spoon, Shakers

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label. Image from thepotterypapers.blogspot.com

 

                                                                                                 CLICK HERE FOR PART FOUR

Driving For Deco continues it series on Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. This installment will take a look at the spoon, fork and the salt and pepper shakers.

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Salad Spoon

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft salad spoon, red glaze.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft red salad spoon. From the collection of the author.

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

Spoon original price: blue, yellow, green $0.20 ($3.76 in 2021); red $0.25 ($4.70 in 2021).

 

The yellow Fiesta Kitchen Kraft spoon.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft spoon in the yellow glaze. Image from etsy.com.

In 1934 year after the Homer Laughlin introduced the Oven Serve Frederick Rhead designed a spoon for the line. There is some debate whether this spoon, with its long handle, ever went into production. All examples that exist are either in a white or ivory glaze that matches the serving pieces of Oven Serve. With the introduction of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft in 1938, the spoon became available in the four glazes associate with the line. The only identifier on the spoon was an applied paper label when originally sold. Finding a spoon today with an intact label will increase its value. The relatively short production life of six years makes spoons hard to find today. Because the 1940 Fiesta promotional salad set came with a red spoon, they tend to be easier to find than spoons of the other colors. And because of their utilitarian function finding one in excellent to mint condition is even harder. And their current value on the collector’s market reflect this rarity.

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft spoon in cobalt blue.

Cobalt Fiesta Kitchen Kraft spoon. Photo from etsy.com.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Spoon: Book value: $120.00 – $150.00 *. Current market prices: $63.00 – $90.00 (eBay) – $145.00 – $225.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com) . **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%.

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Salad Fork

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft salad fork with green glaze.

Green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft salad fork. From the author’s collection.

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

Fork original price: blue, yellow, green $0.20 ($3.76 in 2021); red $0.25 ($4.70 in 2021).

 

Yellow Fiesta Kitchen Kraft fork.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft fork in yellow. Image from etsy.com.

Frederick Rhead designed the salad fork for the Kitchen Kraft line in 1937. Rhead originally intended for the new fork and the existing spoon to be part of a salad set. The bowl Rhead planned for Kitchen Kraft became the 11 3/4 inch fruit bowl of the regular Fiesta line. With this change the fork and spoon became separately sold items. Being ceramic the tines were prone to chipping. Forks in the green glaze tend to be easier to find due to the 1940 Fiesta promotional salad set. Today, finding a fork in excellent to mint condition is difficult and will cost a collector a fair bit of money.

 

Green fork with intact paper label.

Green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft fork with paper label. Image from pinterest.com.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Fork: Book value: $115.00 – $170.00 *. Current market prices: $50.00 – $125.00 (eBay);  $85.00 – $125.00 (Etsy); $150.00 – $165.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com). **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Salt & Pepper Shakers

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft salt and pepper shakers in green.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft range salt and pepper shakers. Image from lot-art.com

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

Salt & Pepper (Priced Individually) original price: blue, yellow, green $0.40 ($7.51 in 2021); red $0.50 ($9.39 in 2021).

 

Cobalt blue Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Shakers.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft shakers in cobalt blue. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

The salt and pepper shakers were introduced with the 1937 Kitchen Kraft line. They were glazed in white or ivory and decorated with decals. The following year they joined the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft line in the standard four glazes. The Kitchen Kraft salt and pepper shakers being designed to use for cooking rather than table service are much larger than the shakers of the regular Fiesta line. And they stylistically match the Kitchen Kraft covered jars. Today shakers fall in the hard to find category, which may be due to their relatively high price back in the 1930s and 1940s.

NOTE: The Cronin Pottery Co. produced large salt and pepper shakers in a similar size and glazes to the Kitchen Kraft and Fiesta Kitchen Kraft shakers. The main difference between the two is that Cronin shakers have the holes placed at an angle toward the upper side of the shaker rather than directly on top like the ones made by Homer Laughlin for Kitchen Kraft. 

Comparison Cronin vs. Fiesta Kitchen Kraft shakers

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Salt & Pepper Shakers (pair): Book value: $69.00 – $87.00 *. Current market prices: $90.00 (eBay);  $85.00 – $125.00 (Etsy); $155.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com). **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%

In the next installment of Fiesta 201, Driving for Deco will take a look at the Refrigerator Set and Pie Plate.

                                                                                                      CLICK HERE FOR PART SIX

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)