Rookwood Pottery is generally divided into two categories or divisions. Anita J. Ellis does a superb job in Rookwood Pottery – The Glaze Lines. It’s an authoritative take on all things Rookwood and anyone wishing to learn more about this incredible line of American art pottery would be well served investing in a copy. Ellis also provides a clear distinction between the pottery maker’s decorated wares and commercial wares.
Decorated wares include those pieces that were decorated by an artist after the pottery piece was formed. It doesn’t, however, include those pieces where the artist designed what’s referred to as a “relief”, or a three dimensional decoration created while still in its mold. This ensured each decoration remained unique, even when it was a variation on one theme or another.
Rookwood Pottery commercial wares, on the other hand, did not have an artist’s decorative effects following the object’s formation. This means they lacked unique characteristics and were mass produced instead. These, of course, included those decorative elements created in the mold.
For those who collect and appreciate Rookwood Pottery, these distinctions rarely matter. It’s the finished look that draws so many. Since 1880, when Rookwood Pottery was officially founded in an old school house, the company had more than its share of financial struggles. Still, it remained a formidable art pottery maker and as a result, has endured to become second only to Roseville Pottery in terms of its popularity.
Collectors still search for that elusive ginger jar from 1881 as well as the spectacular vase with raised 
doves that’s dated in 1900. The Vellum glaze line that wowed everyone in attendance at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri is still spoke of with great awe. The transparency is as appreciated in contemporary day as it was then. There’s no denying the vivid detail, the varying glaze lines and the attention to detail the artists were so well known for.
Rookwood Pottery has certainly stood the test of time and one need only examine a single Rookwood piece to appreciate the beauty of the line in its entirety. Just Art Pottery is proud to offer an extensive line of Rookwood Pottery.
