Fiesta (dinnerware)

thumb|New Fiesta in a store

thumb|Contemporary Fiesta - 5 pieces for $45 in 2012

Fiesta is a line of ceramic glazed dinnerware manufactured and marketed by the Fiesta Tableware Company of Newell, West Virginia, United States since its introduction in 1936,

The company was known as the Homer Laughlin China Company (HLCC) until 2020, when it sold its food service divisions, along with the Homer Laughlin name, to Steelite, a British tableware manufacturer. HLCC in turn rebranded itself as the Fiesta Tableware Company, retaining its retail division, prominent Fiesta line, factories and headquarters in Newell, West Virginia.

Fiesta's original shapes and glazes were designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, Homer Laughlin's art director from 1927 until his death in 1942. Fiesta products before 1986 were semi-vitreous pottery, and after 1986 were vitreous china allowing marketing it for food service applications. Several of the original shapes had to be modified due to this change in material and other new shapes were added by Jonathan O. Parry, who became Homer Laughlin's art director in 1984. Notably, certain early glazes resulted in pieces that were slightly radioactive.

According to the Smithsonian Institution Press, Fiesta's appeal lies in its colors, design, and affordability.

Popularity and marketing

thumb|Salt and pepper shakers showing the [[Art Deco design of Fiesta ware.]]

Fiesta was introduced at the annual Pottery and Glass Exhibit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in January 1936. It was not the first solid color dinnerware in the US; smaller companies, especially Bauer Pottery in California, had been producing dinnerware, vases, and garden pottery, in solid color glazes for the better part of a decade by the time Fiesta was introduced to the market. However, Fiesta was the first widely mass-promoted and marketed solid-color dinnerware in the US.

thumb|right|Manufacturer's advertisement introducing Fiesta, February 1936

When it was introduced, the decoration of dinnerware and kitchenware ceramics was still inspired by the Victorian era, based on full, predetermined sets of dinnerware, all decorated with the same decal designs. With its solid color glazes and mix-and-match concept, Fiesta represented something radically new to the general public. The forms and surfaces expressed an Art Deco influence. At introduction, the Fiesta line of dinnerware comprised some 37 different pieces, including such occasional pieces as candle holders in two designs, a bud vase, and an ash tray. A set of seven nested mixing bowls ranged in size, from the smallest at five inches in diameter up to a nearly twelve-inch diameter. Homer Laughlin discontinued Fiesta red in 1944. The company reintroduced Fiesta red in 1959 using depleted uranium (with 60% of the radioactivity of natural uranium

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns consumers not to use radioactive glazed ceramics for food or drink use. Others recommend against using such pieces for food storage due to the possibility of leaching of uranium or other heavy metals (often present in some colored glazes) into food, especially acidic foods. Consumption of uranium from regular use of such dishware, estimated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, amounted to potential doses of about 0.4 mSv per year (compare to 1 mSv/year general public exposure limit).

1969–1973

By 1969 home decorating tastes had again changed. The company restyled the shapes of Fiesta to try to modernize it. Finials on covers, handles on cups, bowl contours and shapes, were all modified to give Fiesta a more contemporary appearance. The glaze colors were also changed, with the choices being limited to three colors for the place-setting pieces, and one color for the five major serving pieces. These were the remainder of the 64-piece assortment of shapes. Although essentially the same Red glaze as had then been available since 1959, it was renamed Mango Red. Replacing Yellow, Turquoise, and Medium Green, were two new glaze colors. One was Turf Green, which nearly matched the popular Avocado color of the day. The second color was Antique Gold, a brownish-yellow which nearly matched the popular Harvest Gold of the era. The line's name was changed to "Fiesta Ironstone". The shape redesigns and color changes did not restore Fiesta's popularity, and in January 1973 the company discontinued the Fiesta line.

Decaled and decorated Fiesta shapes

As is common with many dinnerware shapes, the manufacturers add different decals to the shapes and give them new names. Throughout its long life (1936–1973), the item shapes of Fiesta were often decorated with decals and marketed under other names, or a name variation. One example was "Fiesta Casuals", which consisted of two patterns, one with yellow and brown florals and accented with solid color Fiesta yellow items, the other with turquoise and brown florals and accented with solid color Fiesta turquoise items.

As another example, in the late 1960s, the shapes of Fiesta were glazed in a dark 'bean-pot' brown, flat pieces were given an underglaze 'Mediterranean-style' geometric decal in black, and the line was marketed as "Amberstone" in a supermarket promotion. Later these shapes were glazed in Antique Gold, with a different stylized pattern under the glaze. This line was dubbed "Casualstone" for another supermarket promotion.

Collectors and the secondary market

During the 1970s, a new appreciation for Art Deco designs from the 1920s and 1930s flourished. Along with this, the baby boomers were establishing their own households. They made Fiesta popular once again. Almost immediately after Fiesta was discontinued in January 1973, collectors began buying heavily in second-hand shops and the newly popular garage sales. Another avenue for acquiring pieces, and sometimes entire collections, was through local auctions. Due to the enormous popularity of Fiesta in the secondary market, its prices skyrocketed. By the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s, some Fiesta items once costing pennies were commanding hundreds of U.S. dollars for scarcer items. By the mid-1980s, prices had climbed higher. Certain very rare pieces and colors were being traded for thousands of dollars.

Contemporary Fiesta from 1986

thumb|Fiesta outlet store at the Fiesta factory in Newell, West Virginia

thumb|Wall of Fiesta dishes in Fiesta factory store in Newell, West Virginia

thumb|Pallets of factory seconds at the Fiesta factory store in Newell, West Virginia

thumb|Pallets of seconds at Fiesta factory store in Newell, West Virginia

thumb|A display of Fiesta

The Homer Laughlin China Company noticed the activity on the secondary market. After a production lapse of 13 years, in 1986 the company marked the 50th anniversary of Fiesta by its reintroduction. Prior to mass production and promotion, Laughlin used the original semi-vitreous clay body on shapes taken mostly from the last incarnation of vintage Fiesta (1969–1973). The company then changed the body to a fully vitrified clay, to enable marketing to the restaurant and service industry, as this clay was more durable. Many original shapes required a redesign because of shrinkage associated with the new clay. Although old and new runs appear similar, direct comparison demonstrates the newer pieces (made with the fully vitrified clay body) are noticeably smaller. In addition to redesigns, new shapes were added to the line.

In 1986, Laughlin offered five colors:

Rose (pink) (1986–2005) [This color changed significantly in the post-2000 firings but was still considered the same Rose],
Black (black) (1986–2015),
Cobalt (dark navy blue) (1986–2021),
White (bright stark white) (1986–),
Apricot (pale pinkish tan) (1986–1998).

The glaze texture on this new Fiesta is very smooth, hard and much more glossy than the original Fiesta. Since its introduction, new Fiesta has remained popular. In addition, it has increased collector interest in all the lines. Many people are collecting vintage pieces, as well as purchasing new items from department stores and catalog retailers. Fiesta collectors often add this new ware to existing collections of vintage Fiesta, while others concentrate on buying only from the new assortment (the original run of Fiestaware, like most dinnerware of the era, was produced with significantly high levels of lead in the glaze). Early in Fiesta's second incarnation, the Homer Laughlin Company marketed it as a new collectible. The manufacturer has maintained interest in Fiesta and manipulated the collectors' market over the past 34 years by discontinuing glaze colors, and by limiting production quantities on some items, or controlling production time frames. Similar techniques have been used by numerous other housewares, china, silver, toy, ornament, etc. companies.

The Homer Laughlin China Company has produced new Fiesta in a total of 340 glaze colors, none of which matches exactly any of the thirteen colors of vintage Fiesta. As of early 2026, many Fiesta shapes exist in a total of 40 color glazes. In addition to the first five 'Post 86' glazes, the names of the new color glazes, in order of introduction, are:

Yellow (pale custard/butter) (1987–2002),
Turquoise (more greenish than vintage Turquoise) (1988–),
Periwinkle (slightly lavenderish-blue) (1989–2006),
Sea Mist (pale mint green) (1991–2005),
Lilac (soft purple) (1993–1995),
Persimmon (pinkish-orange) (1995–2008),
Sapphire (medium bright blue) (Bloomingdale's exclusive 1996–1997),
Chartreuse (brighter and greener than vintage Chartreuse) (1997–1999),
Pearl Gray (light gray) (1999–2001),
Juniper (dark bluish-green) (2000–2001),
Cinnabar (brownish-burgundy) (2000–2010),
Sunflower (bright yellow) (2001–2026),
Plum (dark purple) (2002–2016),
Shamrock (bright deep green) (2002–2021),
Tangerine (bright orange) (2003–2018),
Scarlet (deep true red) (2004–),
Peacock (bright blue) (2005–2015),
Heather (dark reddish-purple) (2006–2009),
Evergreen (dark green) (2007–2009),
Ivory (egg shell/off white) (2008–),
Chocolate (brown) (2008–2012),
Lemongrass (yellowish chartreuse) (2009–2024),
Paprika (dark rust) (2010–2017),
Marigold (yellowish-orange), HLC's 75th Anniversary Fiesta color - limited 75-week run (2011–2012)
Flamingo (bright true pink) (2012–2013),
Lapis (denim blue) (2013–), announced March 2, 2013
Poppy (bright reddish-orange) (2014–), announced March 15, 2014
Sage (earthy green) (2015–2019), announced March 7, 2015
Slate (charcoal grey) (2015–2022), announced March 7, 2015
Meadow (deep mint green) (2019–), announced January 8, 2019

In October 2016, the Homer Laughlin Company announced the discontinuation of the square bowl (992) and the square mug (923).

In popular culture

American Fiesta, a one-man play, refers to the central character's obsession with collecting vintage Fiesta dinnerware.

References

External links

Fiesta company history
Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association