Roseville - The Most Collectible Art Pottery in the World



Rozane

 Roseville made a wide range of pottery from 1890 to 1954. It was advertised in magazines such as “Better Homes and Gardens” and sold in department stores across America. Today Roseville pieces are the most collectible art pottery in the world.

Timeline: Marks:

• Early pieces were often marked with nothing more than the initials of the artist. There are fourteen factory artists’ initials that we known of.
• “RV” - Used on the bottom of some early stoneware lines such as Venetian. Also found on the bottom of Rozane pieces.
• “Roseville” - The familiar cursive, imprinted signature (without the “U.S.A.“) was first introduced in 1931. It was only used 1931-1937 and only as an impressed mark.
• “Roseville U.S.A.” - The most commonly seen mark.

Numbers:
There are numbers on the bottom of many later pieces. The first number identifies the type of piece it is, such as a wall pocket. The second number is the size. For example, the mark to the right indicates an 8" plate or bowl.

• 100’s and 200’s - cornucopias and double bud vases
• 300’s - bowls and plates
• 400’s - jardinières
• 500’s - pedestals
• 600’s - cuspidors
• 700’s - umbrella stands
• 800’s and 900’s - ewers and vases
• 1100’s - candleholders
• 1200’s - wall pockets
• 1300’s - pitchers
• 7000’s - lamps
• January 4, 1892 - Roseville Pottery Company was incorporated in Roseville, Ohio. They produced simple utilitarian pieces such as umbrella stands, flowerpots, spittoons, etc. 1898 - Roseville relocated to Zanesville, Ohio and increased production scale.

Aztec

• 1900 - Rozane became Roseville’s first art pottery line. The Art Nouveau inspired Rozane line looks very different from what is considered to be the typical Roseville style. It consists of glossy browns and blues with hand painted nature scenes, Indians, animals, and portraits. Most Rozane pieces are marked “RV.” The pieces sold for about $0.50 each.
• 1904 - Frederick Rhead became the art director for Roseville. He was

  

  Wisteria

  responsible for many of there rare early lines such as Della Robbia, Aztec, Fudji, and Crystalis. (Fun Fact: Frederick Rhead later designed the molds for much of the original Fiestaware line.)
• 1910’s - Demand for expensive, hand-crafted pottery declined and Roseville shifted their concentration to more commercially produced pottery.
• 1919 - Frank Ferrel took over as art director and is responsible for much of today’s most popular patterns including Wisteria, Cherry Blossom, Dahlrose,and Sunflower. 



Pinecone

• 1931 - Struggling to recover from the stock market crash, Roseville introduced the Pinecone line. This line is considered to be the introduction of the classic Roseville look. Pinecone went on to be Roseville’s most successful pattern with over 75 different shapes in blue, brown, and green.
• 1952 - Despite Roseville’s enormous success throughout the 30’s and 40’s, its popularity began to wane post-WWII. The introduction of the Raymor line was Roseville’s final attempt to compete in a market that now favored the high gloss Fiestaware and hard plastic Melamine.

• 1954 - Roseville Pottery Company ceased production.

BEWARE! Sadly, Roseville’s popularity has resulted in a flood of reproductions. Don’t make any big purchases without the aid of a Roseville expert or thorough research. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

We have lots of beautiful Roseville pieces in the store right now. Come take a look!