COMPLIMENTARY COPY TM
The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 45, NO. 51 FRIDAY DECEMBER 19, 2014
Reviewing American Art Pottery’s Three Rs: Roseville, Rookwood, And Red Wing By Carol Perry
rt Pottery is one of those handy “catch all” terms collectors have coined over the ages. It refers to a ceramic vessel that was created more for beauty than for utility, although of course it may still serve a practical purpose. Vases, pitchers, fruit bowls, candy dishes, even dinner plates, bookends and lamps, may qualify as art pottery. America’s art pottery movement, and it was certainly widespread enough to be considered a movement, probably dates its beginnings to 1876. That was when the Centennial Exposition was held in Philadelphia, and American potters were dazzled by the magnificent pottery displays presented by their Oriental and European counterparts. French barbotine ware glowed with colorful underglaze and subtle low-relief decorations. Japanese vases inspired artisans with eggshell-thin pottery and delicate underglaze paintings.
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A Roseville 17-inch pedestal vase like this one in the “Freesia” pattern, circa 1945, is estimated in the $300 to $375 range.
These are examples of end-of-an-era pottery. The ball pitcher is a 1930s Red Wing piece and the taller, speckled pitcher is from “Raymor” by Roseville, circa 1950. Today the ball pitcher is $35 to $50 and the Roseville pitcher around $250. Carol Perry photo.
One of America’s first art potteries was the Rookwood Pottery, established in 1880 in an old schoolhouse on the banks of the Ohio River. Founder Maria Longworth Storer came from a family of considerable wealth and a home filled with works of art. She, along with many of her lady friends, dabbed in the art of “china painting.” At first, her work force was made up of these society
This rare Roseville “Dutch” tea pot was marked $495 at a Florida shop. Photographed at Jewel Antique Mall, Belleair Bluffs, Fla.
A pair of stylized Art Deco Red Wing vases were tagged $85 for the pair in a Florida shop. Photographed at Victoria’s Parlor, Antique Alley, Belleair Bluffs, Fla.
women, talented amateurs who seemed to favor heavy gilding, carving and incision. Before long though, it became apparent that Rookwood was becoming a commercial success, and Mrs. Storer installed a professional manager. Gradually, the Rookwood style became more controlled. The potters borrowed from the French and learned the barbotine technique of applying decorations with underglaze. Beginning in 1884, Rookwood potters sprayed their underglaze with atomizers, giving a subtly shaded effect, similar to today’s most sophisticated airbrush techniques. Rookwood’s innovative styles were soon picked up by other potteries and before long several Ohio potteries were producing similar wares. Outstanding among these was the big commercial pottery called the Roseville Pottery Company in neighboring Roseville, Ohio. Roseville began producing art pottery in 1900 with a line they called Rozane. The portrait work done on Rozane pieces was often considered the best of its kind. Today’s collectors especially prize Rozane’s series of Native American portraits. Before long, the American market for artware, spurred by the late Victorian love of decoration and the burgeoning Art & Crafts movement, was apparently insatiable. Huge quantities of artware in a multiplicity of styles were offered to an enthusiastic public. The Red Wing Stoneware Company was established in Red Wing, Minn., in 1868. At first they made plain, utilitarian pottery. In 1892 they merged with the Minnesota Stoneware Company and operated as the Red Wing Union Stoneware. It wasn’t until 1920 that Red Wing entered the art pottery field and became Red Wing Pottery Inc. During the 1930s, Red Wing hand-painted dinnerware was a common sight on the tables of America, as the colorful patterns found their way into the ubiquitous Sears catalog and department stores everywhere. Rookwood, after several reorganizations, finally ceased operation
in 1967. Roseville was sold in 1954 to the Mosaic Tile Company. Red Wing closed its doors in 1967. Today’s collectors of all or any of the three Rs have a wealth of designs from which to choose, although choosing can get very pricey! A 4-by-5-inch Rookwood tile featuring a crow-like bird called a rook was used for advertising around 1915. One sold at auction in 2012 for $5,250. Signed examples of Roseville’s Rozane book can be estimated in the $800 to $1,000 range. At a Midwest auction, two rare Red Wing Stoneware salt-glazed crocks brought an amazing $40,000 each! That’s not to say that collectors can’t still buy good examples of these artwares for little money though; they certainly can. A nice Rookwood wall pocket still sells in the $50 to $100 range, and a pair of Art Deco Red Wing vases were noted in a Florida shop at just $85 for the pair. A good looking Roseville coffee pot from the 1950s can be found for around $75 to $100. Most collectors these days tend
Roseville “Clematis” pattern double-handle triple bud vases are $120 each.
to enter the “3 Rs” field at the end of the art pottery movement, collecting examples made in the 1940s and 1950s. These pieces, made by the pottery industry giants, are for the most part not hard to find and easy to identify by their marks. Rookwood’s earliest pieces were marked with the name “Rookwood,” the date and an anchor. In 1886 the mark was changed to the letters “R” and (Continued on page 2)
Roseville Bookends in the “Pine Cone” pattern may retail for $150 to $250. Carol Perry photo.
A 1904 ad for Rookwood Pottery. This vase in the “White Poppy” pattern now retails in the $2,500 to $3,500 range.
A 1904 ad for Rookwood Pottery. This vase in the “Lilly of the Valley” pattern may sell today for thousands of dollars, depending on the signature.