Posted 12 years ago
Jack_Johnson
(34 items)
I know this is a Rookwood piece from the mark. It has been in my family since at least the 1930s and regardless of what it actually is, we use it as an umbrella stand.
The marks indicate it was made in 1909 or 1910 as there is a IX under the RP mark. The style mark is 1066 and the letters are B Y and there is a 6 in a circle and a 7. I understand the B probably indicates it isn't the largest piece but the Y, 6, and & meaning nothing to me. I'm curious about the style, glaze, and meanings of the other marks.
But it seems to be "cut down" or had the lip cut off or something as the rim is irregular. It seems unfinished.
The piece has a small crack at the top. It is glazed on the inside. I love this piece and think the "flowing glaze" and the color is fantastic. But I don't see many pieces of Rookwood online similar to this one. It doesn't have the "fine" glaze of some Rookwood and isn't "figurative" in any sense like so much Rookwood.
Any information about the marks or this piece in generally would be much appreciated.
jack, do you still have the low leather daybed ? if so, can you contact me at :charleseames@mac.com?
Bit of an enigma. First, it's way off the type of glaze I'd expect for a 1909 vase. I can't see the mark well enough to read the date, but I'll take your word for it. Rookwood had a "glaze effects" line where they experimented very freely with the limits of what was possible given the formulas, knowledge, materials and chemistry of the period. I'm fairly certain the "C" or "G" in a circle is the artist mark, but I've never seen it before and have no good guess about who it might be. I think the BY must refer to the clay , possibly paired with a process mark? "Y" is a known clay mark, denoting "yellow" clay, which was actually Ohio buff. The "7" I have absolutely no idea about. Cut rim is most likely an attempt to remove damage, unfortunate, but it is what it is. I'd love to see what it looked like out of the kiln. Really is a striking vase, you can easily picture it having been produced 40 years later. The cut rim pretty much negates any value, but I'd love to read the info from someone well versed in Roodwood history.
Sonambient--I dont have that piece. I didn't get any response in a timely fashion and was moving so I donated it to a local charity. I'm sure it found a good home. I wish I'd found this site sooner and been able to post when I wasn't under the gun. Thank you for your interest.
art. pottery--Thank you for your comments. I thought it might be an experimental piece--given the nature of a pottery like Rookwood there would have to be that kind of activity. We only live 2.5 hours from Cincinnati and have family there now and did in the 30s too. My grandmother could have easily picked that up. An experimental or cut down piece wouldn't have deterred her at all! I don't know if it's helpful but the color of the visible fired clay at the rim is a buff color or weathered yellow. I don't know what happens to the color of a red or yellow clay when fired. Is there a site or resource or person I could contact to get more definitive information? Might there be interest in the new Rookwood to see experimental pieces? If it is and all that.
Well Jack it definitely looks cut and the glaze looks like it missed a step to me. Perhaps something happened toward the top and they just stopped mid process? Someone decided that it was still worth something to someone and it went out in the world...or someone from the plant brought it home to use.
These are just my guesses, wide open to speculation ; ))
I like it a lot and it sounds like you do too.
Art.Pottery--I posted "Salt Glaze Vase" under show and tell about the same time as this. I was wondering if you saw that? Perhaps you weren't interested in it but if you missed it... It is another piece we have that no one seems to be definitive about. An Antiques Roadshow type thing came to town and they found it "very interesting" but suggested only further research.
This looks so much like the land and sea meeting one another. Great piece.
And so peaceful.