Corning Ware Profile: Merry Mushroom (1975) 

The Merry Mushrooms collection was a diverse group of decorative kitchen wares offered exclusively by Sears from 1970 to 1986.  Different manufacturers supplied various types of products with this motif, and Corning Ware cookware was one of them.  It first appeared in 1975 and might have been available for only a short time.  On packaging, backstamps, and in catalogues the various collectibles were named "Merry Mushrooms", but the original boxes for Corning Ware bear the pattern name "Merry Mushroom".

Corning Ware Merry Mushroom B-2½ (2½ Qt) saucepan/casserole.  The Pyrex lid is not numbered, but it has an 8¾" diameter.

The original boxes also carry the brand name "Corning Ware Round", and this shape is akin to Buffet Servers and Avocado & Butterscotch Round from the 1960s.  These older choices were equipped with solid glass-ceramic lids, but for Merry Mushroom, the lids are clear Pyrex, and their style is borrowed from Pyrex Sculptured Ovenware which had debuted in 1972.  These lids are not marked with a brand name or model number, making them a challenge to identify and match up with the correct Corning Ware piece.

Two Corning Ware teapots were offered in Merry Mushroom: 6 cup P-104 and 7 cup P-107.  Skillets were available in two sizes: 8½" (B-8½) and 10" (B-10).  There are three sizes of saucepan or casserole: 1 Qt (B-1), 1¾ Qt (B-1¾), and 2½ Qt (B-2½).  The largest piece is a saucepot or Dutch oven, a 4 Qt (B-4).

Corning Ware B-1 (1 Qt) saucepan/casserole (top); B-10 (10") skillet (bottom).  The unmarked lids are 7¾" & 10½" in diameter.

Others: 

The remainder of the Merry Mushrooms collection came from other manufacturers, sourced from Japan mainly, but a few products were made in North America.  Ceramic canisters were the genesis of the product line, and along with cookie jars, they were among the most popular items.

Canadian Merry Mushrooms ceramics: small canister & mugs.

The ceramics offered by Sears Roebuck in the United States were usually made in Japan, but some were made in Mexico too.  A few of the non-ceramic items in the collection were American-made.  In Canada, Simpsons Sears distributed Canadian-made ceramics.

Merry Mushroom glassware in three sizes was produced by Brockway Glass Company in West Virginia.  This company also made glassware with a look-alike design of orange & brown mushrooms.

Merry Mushrooms selection from 1984 Simpsons Sears catalogue.  Enamel cookware at left, ceramics at right: (11) 4-piece canister set, (12) cookie jar, (13) 8 oz mugs, (14) 6 cup teapot, (15) cream & sugar, (16) salt & pepper.

Ovenware from Anchor Hocking also exists, and it was available around the same time as the Corning Ware cookware. Pieces include: 1 Qt & 2 Qt round casseroles, 1½ Qt oval casserole, four-piece nesting bowl set, and a 3 Qt covered roaster.

Other co-ordinating items include ceramic dinnerware, mugs, teapots and serving pieces, stoneware storage jars, enamel cookware, cutlery, utensils, small appliances, linens, and much more, even light fixtures.


Related Articles: 

Corning Ware Teapots
Corning Ware Buffet Servers
Pyrex Sculptured Ovenware
Corning Ware Profile: Garden Harvest

Source: 

"Merry Mushrooms", Hagley Library and Archives Circular, April 16, 2010.
Catalogues and Newspaper Archives.