An astonishing 140 years ago, in 1880, Maria Longworth Nichols founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio, opening the first female-owned and operated pottery company in America. The daughter of a wealthy Ohioan, she initially started the studio as a hobby, but it soon expanded beyond a side project. In 1887, she brought in Japanese potter and artist Karato Shirayamadani to increased acclaim. Quickly, Rookwood Pottery was turning heads. The company received international attention after it won a Gold Medal in ceramics at the Paris Exposition in 1900.

Noted for the Oriental influenced style of their pieces, often the early Rookwood ceramic ware featured naturalistic scenes of herons, lily pads, and koi fish. One glance at the “Aladdin Vase”, pictured above, demonstrates the delightful incorporation of these elements. Intriguing developments in glazes, as Judith Miller notes in her Antiques Handbook, allowed Rookwood to create distinctive glazes on their pieces, with many of the pieces featuring a gradient of color on the surface known as the “Standard” glaze.

Pieces were stamped with Rookwood’s recognizable maker’s mark, a backwards R next to a P, surrounded by fourteen flames, representing the company’s first fourteen years. Each additional year was demarcated with a Roman numeral and occasionally, the artist who created the piece would add their own signature on the underside.

As the company grew in recognition, Rookwood became a dominant, influential force in American ceramics, often launching the careers of other artists who in turn set up their own companies. Artists such as Artus Van Briggle, who went on to found his own ceramic studio Van Briggle Pottery, Laura Fry, and the founders of Kenton Hills Porcelains all had their start at Rookwood.

As the design styles evolved in America, Rookwood followed suit. The company’s later pieces show the influence of the changing tastes and the Art Deco design period.

Like many companies, however, the Great Depression dealt a blow to Rookwood, and the company started to decline in the 1930s as a result. Eventually, the company closed in 1967 after filing for bankruptcy in 1941. The name Rookwood has not diminished in the design world, however, and early pieces especially continue to attract attention on the auction market. 

At ODA, as a female owned and operated company, we are thrilled to showcase groundbreaking women in the design industry. Inspired by Longworth Nichols’ vision and creative spirit, we love Rookwood ceramic pieces, which abound with history and enduring charm.

https://rookwood.com/pages/about-rookwood

Miller, Judith. Antiques Handbook & Price Guide, 2018-2019. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. 2017. pgs 481-482.

from the desk of Tess Starshak