Roseville Art Pottery Early Patterns and Artists

Since its incorporation in 1892, The Roseville Pottery Company operated under their general manager, George F. Young and produced pottery such as flowerpots, cuspidors, jardinières and pedestals as well as coin banks and novelties. In 1900, Young hired Ross C. Purdy as Roseville’s first artistic designer and wares produced up until 1908 focused on handcrafted and decorated, artistic lines of art pottery that included Rozane, Azurean, Fujiyama, Crystallis and Della Robbia. After 1908, The Roseville Pottery Company production shifted to pottery that was mass produced using molds or slip cast and the hand decorating by artistic designers had come to an end.

• 

• 

After Purdy was hired, he created the Rozane line which was glossy brown-black or ivory-pastel glazed pottery ware. Roseville artists such as Mae Timberlake, W. Myers, and H. Dunlavy decorated these wares with hand-painted portraits of people, animals and florals. Other artistic designers whose artist marks show up on Rozane ware are William Hall, Claude Leffler, C. Neff and an obscure artist only known by his initials M.N.

In 1904, Frederick Rhead was hired by Roseville as artistic director. He designed the rare lines of Olympic, In 1904, Frederick Rhead was hired by Roseville as artistic director. He designed the rare lines of Olympic, Cremo, Crocus and Della Robbia ware in 1905.  Some of these pieces were signed with artist initials; however, many of those artists remain unknown.  Other notable artists in Roseville’s artistic handcrafted period include John Herold, who created Roseville’s Rozane Mongol line for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition and Gazo Fujiyama who designed the Fujiyama/Woodland and Fudji lines in 1905-1906.

• 

• 

Freelance artists also worked for Roseville, as well as for other pottery companies. They included Elizabeth Ayers, Virginia Adams, A.F. Best, Mignon Martineau, C. Mitchell, Lilly Mitchell, Grace Neff, Harry Rhead, Lois Rhead, Helen Smith, Fred Steele, Hester Pillsbury, Arthur Williams and Charles Chilcote among others.

Shop for Roseville Pottery

We Buy Roseville Pottery