This is the time of year when just walking outdoors energizes us.  Those changing leaves, the crisp air and the anticipation of the upcoming holiday season are enough to draw us from the sofa for a bit of well spent time outside.  With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the many lines of Roseville Pottery for those fall or autumn inspired themes.  Take a look and see if any of these are among your Roseville favorites:

Roseville “Autumn” – This line of Roseville Pottery was introduced in 1910.  With more of a practical approach to its style, these pieces incorporate fall sunsets with exquisite colors of golds, oranges and browns.  Each piece from the Autumn collection incorporates tree decals and river scenes.  While most of these pieces are unmarked, there are examples that have die impressed numbers.  It’s a beautiful collection that offered approximately 15 shapes.

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The ten most searched Roseville Pottery Patterns at JustArtPottery.com for September 2010 are summarized below.  With the exception of the ever popular Roseville Pine Cone pattern, 1940s floral patterns dominated the searches this month.  It is interesting to note not a single middle period pattern made the top ten.    

1. Pine Cone

2. Apple Blossom 

3. Freesia

4. Magnolia

5. Bushberry

6. Zephyr Lily

7. Clematis

8.  Water Lily

9. Snowberry

10.  White Rose

Just outside the top 10 were Sunflower and Baneda. 

Roseville Ferella

The Roseville Ferella line, sometimes spelled as “Ferrella”, was a line of Roseville Pottery that was introduced in 1930.  It was a hit the moment it was released.  The tans and reds, and to some degree, the   greens, generally found in this line added a certain flair and remains a sought-after collection even today.  According to Mark Bassett, there were twenty four Roseville Ferella shapes, including flower blocks, flower frogs a footed bowl and vases. 

The line was named after then-art director Frank Ferrell, who was inspired by the work of Keramic Studio’s editor, Adelaid Alsop Robineau.  Most notable are the unique “piercings” along the necks and even the base of many of the Ferella pieces.  You’ll also notice beveling on some pieces as well as the textures that are carved in some of the vases; they provide a nice contrast to both the view and feel of the pieces. 

The Roseville Ferella line offers matted glazes and before Ferella completed what would soon become an incredible popular line, he ensured the carved lotus that was found in what eventually became his inspiration, was removed.

Many of the Ferella pieces command hundreds of dollars.

Roseville Gardenia

Always a favorite, the Roseville Gardenia was described in one of its advertisements in 1950, and upon its release, as a “truly thrilling beauty” of “large gardenias and green leaves on three softly blended background colors”.  Generally, these background colors incorporated either a brown or gray color, but as Bassett explains, it was the gray color that was more of a “typical 1950s color choice”.  Both are simply lovely, and especially with the matte glaze that’s typically found in this Roseville Pottery line.  There were either 39 or 40 shapes (the discrepancy is due to an advertisement that declared the total of forty shapes, while the factory stock pages only list thirty nine).

 Of course, the gardenias that are found on this line of American art pottery are what differentiate them.  Regardless of which background color a piece has, the fact is, it really is a remarkable collection, complete with textures, carvings and with an incredible attention to detail.  In fact, in one advertisement, one of the Gardenia bowls is described as “exceptional, having a rim that is upswept into a sculptural feather-like shape at each end”.  The descriptions are absolutely accurate – this particular bowl is one any Roseville Pottery collector would cherish.

So what is your favorite Roseville Pottery line?  Drop us a line anytime and be sure to visit our brand new site, Art Pottery Place.  Here, you can bid, buy, sell or swap art pottery.  Registration is easy and it’s a great alternative to eBay.  

There are times when rare and beautiful American art pottery finds its way to us; when it’s Roseville Pottery, it certainly adds to the excitement.  That’s exactly what’s happened over the past few weeks.  We’ve been fortunate to purchase several nice collections of Roseville Pottery that includes both later floral patterns as well as quality middle period patterns such as Baneda and Blackberry.  There are a few ways to shop our Roseville inventory and newest additions.  Some collectors prefer to use the New Additions link to browse all the latest inventory updates. Others prefer to save time and go directly the Roseville Pattern index that allows customers to shop by specific patterns.  Still many feel, the best way to see it all on the Just Art Pottery website is to view the “All Roseville Pottery” tab, versus the pattern search.  Either way, you’re going to enjoy the time spent.  Here are just a few of these great finds:

There are currently several pieces from the Roseville Baneda line, which was introduced in 1932 and for a while, was considered one of Roseville’s more sought-after middle period patterns..  The first one likely to catch your eye is the Roseville Baneda 598-12 vase with low resting dual handles (there are a few vases with handle – each unique and with its own defining elements).  The easy curving features are subtle and the green glaze is infused with shades of blue and along the rim, you’ll notice a deep red or brown coloring – it all adds to the beauty of the collection.  The decorative elements are closer to the top, with oranges, golds and more distinct blues.  The Baneda green vase is in mint condition.

In addition to the latest Baneda additions, there are several new Roseville Blackberry vases, bowls and jardinières.  Over the last few months, Blackberry has been one of the most popular patterns and we have seen new additions to the highly-collectible middle period pattern sell quickly. 

There are also many inventory additions from Roseville's 1940s floral patterns.  Similar to the decorative motifs found in the Foxglove, Columbine and some say the Pine Cone lines, the Roseville Bittersweet gray wall pocket offers an angled appearance.  The gray primary color, as well as the brown that is revealed closer to the bottom, is exactly what’s needed to frame the pretty poppy red flowers and green leaving designs.  You’ll notice the textures, too, on the wall pocket.  It’s in excellent condition and certainly one any collector of Roseville Pottery or wall pockets in general will appreciate.

As mentioned earlier, these are just a few of the new Roseville Pottery additions.  Browse them all and let us know which ones caught your eye.  Email us, send us a tweet @justartpottery or leave a comment.

I’m always amazed at how many incredible facts and stories are a part of the Roseville Pottery legacy.  These important bits of information come together to define one of the most revered American pottery companies.  I’m sure even the most knowledgeable experts still discover interesting and little known particulars of information from time to time.  After doing research this week, I was able to find several interesting details, most of these coming from a renowned Roseville Pottery expert, Mark Bassett.  Some you may already know, but hopefully, you’ll discover a few facts you weren’t already aware of.

Did You Know…

·         The factory’s failure in the mid-1950s was due to the Raymor collection?  This is interesting considering it’s a favorite among contemporary collectors.  The primary colors found in this collection are avocado (a primary color for anything in the 1950s…remember your Mom or Grandmother’s avocado kitchen appliances?), dark brown and white.  You’ll find desk accessories, vases and other shapes in this Roseville collection.

·         Some avid Roseville Pottery collectors have searched for thirty-plus years for a single piece to complete a collection?  This is testament to the passion many have for this American art pottery company.

·         At one point in the early 1900s, Roseville Pottery found itself in competition with Weller Pottery for the talents of two brothers, Frederick and Harry Rhead?

·         Before undertaking the inception of Roseville Art Pottery in 1892, George F. Young worked as a school teacher, a Singer sewing machine salesman and stoneware salesman?  Six years after opening, the company was relocated to what was once a stoneware plant in Zanesville, Ohio.

·         In 1947, the pottery maker introduced a new alpha-numeric system for its identification  method? The system was a failure and the company reversed to its previous methods.

It’s those little pieces of information that come together and define a company.  Whether you’re a long-time collector or have recently discovered Roseville Pottery, odds are, there will likely always be some little known fact you that pops up and catches you by surprise. 

"Buyers of Pottery Must Cater to Women"

That was a selling point made in 1905 by Roseville Pottery in an effort to drive even more demand for its very popular “mat green” finishes.  The advertisement, which can be seen in Mark Bassett’s Understanding Roseville Pottery, goes on to say that “All women love the rich dark shades of green because they are in harmony wherever placed”.  That’s very interesting, especially since green is one of those must-have colors in nearly any contemporary home décor.  And it’s true; women love green.  My bedroom walls are a sage green, there’s a deep green in my living room’s area rug and my guest room is green.  When one stops to consider his/her own choices, sometimes it’s only then a pattern is discovered.  The powers that be during the turn of the century at Roseville Pottery knew then what many of us still aren’t even aware of: there are those choices we make without even realizing we’re following a pattern, such as the case with my use of green throughout my home.

There were seven matt (or “mat”) green shapes that had openings that measured more than 5” in diameter.  This made them ideal for use as vases or even kerosene lamp bases.  Bassett points out the similarities of one of these styles with a popular Grueby lamp, mostly due to the vining, leaves and small flower buds.  Also in this Roseville Pottery line, one could find umbrella stands, jardinières and pedestal sets. 

The shapes in this Roseville Pottery line are remarkable.  Footed bowls and jardinières that begin with one element as the base and changes as it progresses until finally, the top reveals a perfectly formed bowl with intricate detailing are just a couple examples.  This really is a lovely line and if their goal was to entice women, I’m sure it worked and if it didn’t, it serves the purpose now, at least from a personal perspective.

It's always interesting to know a back story or two about the American art pottery companies that are still so sought-after by today's pottery collectors.  One of Roseville Pottery's art directors was Frank Ferrel, who came aboard in 1918 and made his mark on Roseville pottery until the plant's closing in 1954.  Ferrel took over Harry Rhead's responsibilities (who, by the way, was Frederick Rhead's brother) and played a role in all the lines Roseville Pottery released during this time period, including later floral patterns such as Bittersweet, White Rose and of course, Zephyr Lily, which was one of the last lines released by Roseville Art Pottery prior to its 1954 closing.   In Weller, Roseville and related Zanesville Art Pottery and Tiles, written by Betty Ward and Nancy Schiffer, it's said Ferrel's personal favorite Roseville line was Pine Cone; it comes as no surprise, that he preferred the greens and browns that were prevalent in many of the Roseville art pottery collections during these years.  The Pine Cone line had been rejected nearly twenty five years earlier by Peters and Reed, so having it as part of Roseville Pottery's offerings was probably near and dear to Ferrel's heart.

In Ferrel's later years at Roseville he was well known for his productions that included embossed designs, but required no traditional freehand efforts by artists.  It's said to have been less time consuming and even less expensive than incorporating true freehand artistic touches, but it was also incredibly difficult to turn a profit using this method, partly because of the dual glaze dippings this method required.  This, too, was prior to World War II, so one can imagine how impossible it would have been to even attempt the embossed designs during and following the war, when there was never enough of anything.  Another interesting bit of information – next time you come across a Roseville Pottery jardinière, basket or Roseville vase, you can thank Frank Ferrel.

Be sure to take a look at Just Art Pottery's inventory of the Pine Cone Collection and others that Frank Ferrel influenced during his time with Roseville Art Pottery.

Donna McGill – Just Art Pottery