Rookwood Art Pottery

About Rookwood Art Pottery

Founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols, Rookwood pottery is a favorite of collectors for the quality of its pieces, which were hand-decorated by a diverse group of artists (though some simpler pieces were mass-produced, especially during the Depression).

Rookwood pieces were sold at the factory showroom and at jewelry and department stores nationwide. Drawing from European and Asian styles, the company was very involved with the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, and its pieces are still prized as some of the best examples of those styles...

In addition to its signature vases, Rookwood also produced architectural tile and smaller items such as bookends, paperweights and figurines. There were between 20 and 25 artists decorating pieces at the Rookwood factory at any given time (some of the most notable included Kataro Shirayamadani, Albert Valentine, Sara Sax, and Jens Jensen).

Rookwood’s artists were innovative and helped change the way art pottery was created and designed. Kataro Shirayamadani covered the entire piece with decoration versus just the front as was previously done, and Laura Fry created the atomizer, allowing artists to evenly apply glazes and use color gradations. In the early 1900s, Rookwood began using matte finishes and vellum glaze, a translucent matte glaze.

Collectors should note that the vast majority of Rookwood pieces are very clearly marked. Very early pieces say “Rookwood,” and later pieces (starting in the mid-1880s) feature the Rookwood logo: a backwards R and P side-by-side. Rookwood closed its factory in the 1960s, but the copyright has been continuously enforced.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Rookwood Art Pottery Collector Riley Humler

I don’t remember the first Rookwood piece I ever bought, that’s getting close to 40 years ago. But I must… [more]

Rookwood, Pioneer American Art Pottery

The Rookwood Pottery has gone to war. This pioneer among American art potteries, founded by Maria Longworth S… [more]

An Interview With Roycroft Arts and Crafts Metalwork Collector David Kornacki

I started collecting Roycroft around 1992 when I visited the Peter Roberts Gallery in New York City. That was… [more]

An Interview With Gouda Pottery Collector Stuart Lonsdale

I think it all started with a small pottery vase my mother obtained from the art pottery shop where she worke… [more]

An Interview With Arts and Crafts Silver and Jewelry Collector Paul Somerson

How did I get started collecting Arts and Crafts silver? My wife and I had been collecting Arts and Crafts it… [more]

An Interview With Cowan Art Pottery Museum Curator Carol Jacobs

I’m the curator here at the museum in Rocky River, a suburb west of Cleveland. I look at Cowan pottery from… [more]

An Interview With Howard Coutts, Ceramics Curator Of The Bowes Museum

I’m the curator of the ceramics bit of the Bowes Museum. It’s a big museum with 30 galleries of which thr… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Gouda Design

Gouda Design

Stuart Lonsdale and Kim Lindley's excellent tribute to and reference on Gouda Dutch Art Pottery and Delftware. The … [read review or visit site]

LACMA Arts and Crafts

LACMA Arts and Crafts

This microsite from the LA County Museum of Art provides a good overview of the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe … [read review or visit site]

Modernism

Modernism

An overview by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts of the design movements between 1880 and 1940 that comprised Moder… [read review or visit site]

Piggy Banks and Famous Potteries

Piggy Banks and Famous Potteries

Roger Owen's showcase of over 180 beautiful 20th century British and European piggy banks, with background on their… [read review or visit site]

Chicago Silver

Chicago Silver

Paul Somerson's incredible reference on handwrought metalwork from the American Arts and Crafts movement of the ear… [read review or visit site]

Cowan Pottery Museum Associates

Cowan Pottery Museum Associates

Dedicated to raising awareness of the ceramic art work of R. Guy Cowan and his Cowan Pottery Studio in northeastern… [read review or visit site]

The Pottery Studio

The Pottery Studio

This 7,000-plus page site lives up to its self-billing as a 'knowledge base' with examples of work from all major a… [read review or visit site]

1910 Metal

1910 Metal

A detailed tribute to the lesser-known artistic metalwork craftsmen of the Arts and Crafts movement. In addition t… [read review or visit site]

Benedict Studio

Benedict Studio

Dedicated to art metalwork produced in Syracuse, New York during the height of the Art and Crafts movement, this si… [read review or visit site]

Clarice Cliff Collectors Club

Clarice Cliff Collectors Club

A good reference resource for anyone interested in the pottery of Clarice Cliff (1899-1972), who had her heyday in … [read review or visit site]

Potsherd

Potsherd

Paul Tyers' reference site on pottery and ceramics from the Roman period in Britain and Western Europe. Includes a … [read review or visit site]


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Fabulous Large Rookwood Vase By Charles S. Todd$2,025 Ends Sunday 4 bids 35 watchers
Fine Rookwood Pottery Wax Mat Vase,1921.by Charles Todd$810.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 32 watchers
Fine Rookwood Pottery Wax Mat Vase,1926.katherine Jones$730.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 9 watchers
Rookwood Scenic Vase Signed L.a. Mint Condition$500.00 Ends in 16 hours 2 bids 4 watchers
Gorgeous Rookwood 1921 Vellum Vase By Lenore Asbury$470.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 38 watchers
Gorgeous Rookwood 1921 Vellum Vase By Lenore Asbury$351.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 37 watchers
Rookwood Harriet E Wilcox Vase 1894 517c W Ewer No Res$270.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Vase--artist Carrie Steinle$233.49 Ends Sunday 3 bids 19 watchers
1930 Green Matte Glaze Rookwood Pottery Tripod Art Bowl$219.00 Ends Saturday 5 bids 6 watchers
C.1910 Rookwood Chrysanthemum Vase W/ Sterling Overlay$208.50 Ends Friday 8 bids 21 watchers
Vintage Yellow Rookwood Art Pottery Vase #2135 Nice !$199.00 Ends Friday 2 bids 6 watchers
Rookwood Vase$191.38 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 17 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Tree Of Life Display Plate$154.53 Ends in 19 hours 21 bids 10 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Vase Stamped 1882 - Rare$152.51 Ends Thursday 3 bids 10 watchers
Rookwood Lily-of-the-valley Vase - Blue - 1913$142.50 Ends in 20 hours 8 bids 30 watchers
1913 Carved Arts & Crafts Rookwood Green Matte Vase Nr$135.83 Ends Friday 2 bids 17 watchers
1930 Green Rookwood "frog" Ashtray$125.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
Rookwood Arts & Crafts Yellow Vase 1921$102.50 Ends in 21 hours 5 bids 39 watchers
Rookwood 8 &1/2 Inch Vase$102.50 Ends Saturday 11 bids 43 watchers
Tall (10”) Purple Rookwood Vase 1925 (pictures Added!)$100.00 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 11 watchers
Rookwood Vellum Vase, Edith Noonan 1907$99.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 12 watchers
Roseville Blackberry Wall Pocket$99.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 7 watchers
Rookwood Tall Signed Vase 1920 Greek Olympic Torch Mint$96.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 10 watchers
Rookwood"louise Abel"nude Art Pottery Paperweight 1929$91.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 23 watchers
1929 Rookwood #1213 Ivory Swan Planter / Nice & Nores!!$91.00 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 7 watchers
Rookwood Z Line Arts & Crafts William Macdonald Vase $84.72 Ends Sunday 8 bids 45 watchers
Rookwood Pottery - Rare Light Tan Owl Tray Dated 1949$76.00 Ends in 34 mins 4 bids 9 watchers
Rookwood Artist Signed Planter Jardiniere With Frogs$71.00 Ends in 23 hours 8 bids 30 watchers
Rookwood Artist Eth Brass Etching Plate Rare Snow Scene$56.55 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 17 watchers
1919 Rookwood Arts & Crafts Tankard$53.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 15 watchers
Rookwood Vase W/lovely Glaze (1929)$51.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 18 watchers
Vintage Blue Green 7" Rookwood Vase Signed 1945 Mint $51.00 Ends in 20 hours 3 bids 10 watchers
Vintage 1913 Rookwood Mauve Green Art Pottery Vase$49.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 10 watchers
Vintage 1909 Velum Rookwood Cabinet Vase #30f $49 Nr $49.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 6 watchers
Roseville Vase$48.51 Ends Monday 2 bids 12 watchers
Rare Vintage Rookwood Pottery Plate Mother And Child$46.00 Ends in 5 hours 8 bids 24 watchers
Rookwood 1926 Matte Sky Blue Vellum Vase$42.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 16 watchers
Rookwood Oak Leaf And Acorn Matchstick Holder Mint! Nr!$41.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 11 watchers
Rookwood Matte Green Lotus Bowl - 2128 - 1921$41.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 26 watchers
Rookwood Vase Xliv$41.00 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 7 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Lamp$40.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 14 watchers
Rookwood Cattails Vase -- Chartreuse$39.95 Ends Sunday 1 bid 2 watchers
Roookwood Pottery Vase$32.88 Ends Sunday 2 bids 6 watchers
Rookwood*1929* 77 C*pink/2 Handle Vase*mint*5 1/2 In.$26.00 Ends Monday 4 bids 13 watchers
1925 Rookwood Arts & Crafts Water Lilly Candleholder$25.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 7 watchers
1949 Rookwood #6632 Vase / Flowers And Berries / Nores!$24.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 12 watchers
Small 2 3/4" Rookwood Art Pottery Flower Pot 1920 #1246$24.16 Ends Monday 4 bids 16 watchers
Rookwood Matte Rose Pink Glaze Vase - 2088 - 1926$23.16 Ends Sunday 6 bids 22 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Inspired Arts & Crafts Watercolor $22.00 Ends in 2 hours 3 bids 4 watchers
Stylish Tourquoise Rookwood 1926 10" High Glaze Vase$22.00 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 7 watchers
Rookwood Pottery Inspired Arts & Crafts Watercolor $21.50 Ends in 2 hours 3 bids 8 watchers
Antique Burley Winter Bud Vase Strawberry Jar$19.95 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 5 watchers

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Recent News: Rookwood Art Pottery

Source: Google News

Just Art Pottery's New Search Function for Roseville Pottery
News-antique.com (press release), November 18th

Since 1997, Just Art Pottery has offered a wide range of American art pottery lines, including Roseville pottery, Rookwood pottery, McCoy pottery and many...Read more

Read more...
Auction Central News, November 16th

Rookwood pitcher, standard glaze with flower and leaf design, "1887" mark, 8 inches, $490. Hand-forged iron calipers in the form of two mermaids,...Read more

Cottone Auctions
Antiques and the Arts Online, November 13th

Art Glass/Lamps/Art Pottery: Victorian lighting, qty. early Worcester, Weller, Rookwood, Lulu Scott Backus, etc. Decorative: sterling silver inc...Read more

Cincinnati bars embrace craft cocktails
Cincinnati.com, November 10th

Rommel Wells, a former philosophy major workign at the Rookwood Pottery Restaurant in Mount Adams, mixes up moody, romantic drinks like his Les Fleurs du...Read more

Third Thursday, Syracuse's City Wide Art Open
CNYLink from Eagle Newspapers, November 10th

Open exhibits include: Women of Rookwood: The Joyce and Eliot Sterling Collection of American Art Pottery, The Syracuse China Collection,...Read more

Rookwood adds auction arm
Cincinnati.com, November 7th

In this May photo, Rookwood chief Chris Rose (left) speaks to art director Allan Nairn about the kiln firing of tiles at Rookwood Pottery,...Read more

Cincinnati Art Galleries is home for the Holiday Sale, Nov. 7-8
Auction Central News, November 3rd

Sunday morning the chairs will begin to fill for the Rookwood Pottery portion of the auction, which always evinces a lot of interest due to its Cincinnati...Read more

The art of collecting originals
Cincinnati.com, November 1st

He also suggests checking out Cincinnati Art Galleries' Rookwood Pottery sale and auction coming next Saturday and Sunday. "It's a good way to train your...Read more

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