
In 1880, Maria Longworth Nichols Storer (1849 - 1932, pictured) founded Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio. A wealthy young woman, she was inspired, as so many of her contemporaries were, by the Japanese ceramics displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial International Exposition. Though she had just one year of formal training in pottery and was unexperienced in business, she opened the first art pottery in the United States, naming it Rookwood after her childhood home. In 1883, she hired William Watts Taylor to manage the pottery, a position he retained until his death in 1913.
Storer, and to a greater extent Taylor, focused on the development of distinct, signature glaze lines, the first of which was the Standard Glaze line, a yellow-tinted translucent high gloss glaze over slip-painted decoration on ground colors of green, yellow and, more commonly, brown. Through the 1880s and 1890s more high gloss glaze lines were developed including Iris, Sea Green, and Aerial Blue. By the dawn of the 20th century, countless others were created, including matte glazes, which were gaining in popularity by that time. The vessels themselves were standardized shapes, and were first thrown or molded separately and then given to the decorator to be painted. In the early years they imitated Japanese forms, and though Oriental themes continued to inspire designs, a variety of subjects were explored, such as Native American portraits, sea faring vessels, landscapes, and a multitude of flora and fauna.
William Taylor played a key role in Rookwood’s success – the company would go on to become the largest art pottery in the country, employing over 200 people at its height. He sought to elevate humble pottery to the same level as fine art and increase their influence in the art world. To this end, the company hired many talented pottery decorators, who aimed for absolute perfection in the firing, avoiding crazing and glaze bubbles. Pieces that are uncrazed and have as few factory flaws as possible are especially desirable to collectors today. Among the many talented artists employed at Rookwood, some of the most celebrated are Matt Daly, Sara Sax, Carl Schmidt, Albert Valentien, Lenore Asbury, and Japanese artist Kataro Shirayamadani. All totaled, over 130 artists have been identified as having worked at Rookwood, many having distinct art careers outside of the pottery as well.
Auction Results Rookwood Pottery

Kataro Shirayamadani
rare Sea Green lamp
estimate: $45,000–55,000
result: $52,500

William Purcell McDonald for Rookwood Pottery
exceptional and large Relief Iris vase with poppies
estimate: $19,000–24,000
result: $37,500

Harriet Elizabeth Wilcox for Rookwood Pottery
Exceptional Painted Mat vase
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $18,750

Kataro Shirayamadani
rare banded Iris Glaze vase with white cranes flying over snowy forest
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $17,500

Kataro Shirayamadani for Rookwood Pottery
Modeled Mat vase with geese
estimate: $3,000–4,000
result: $16,250

Kataro Shirayamadani
Flambé/Black Opal vase with poppies
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $13,750

Kataro Shirayamadani
exceptional Dark Iris vase with herons and cattails
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $13,750

Carl Schmidt
rare Iris Glaze plaque (Country Bridge)
estimate: $7,500–9,500
result: $13,750

Sara Sax
Vellum plaque (Forest and Lake with Mountains)
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $13,750

Albert R. Valentien
exceptional and large Iris Glaze vase with flying geese
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $13,500

Carl Schmidt
California Mountains Vellum plaque
estimate: $4,500–6,500
result: $11,875

Matthew Daly for Rookwood Pottery
Standard Glaze Native American portrait vases, set of two
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $11,875

Sara Sax
Frozen Stream Vellum plaque
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $11,250

Sara Sax
rare French Red vase with forsythia
estimate: $3,500–4,500
result: $10,000

Fred Rothenbusch
large Vellum plaque (Mountains Over Lake)
estimate: $9,000–12,000
result: $10,000

Carl Schmidt
Vellum plaque (Schooner)
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $9,375

Sturgis Laurence
rare Iris Glaze plaque (Steamboat on the Ocean)
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $9,216

Olga Reed
Iris Glaze vase with lotuses and overlay
estimate: $6,000–9,000
result: $8,960

Carl Schmidt
Dawn! Vellum plaque
estimate: $7,500–9,500
result: $8,750

Sallie Toohey
rare Decorated Mat charger with landscape
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $8,750

Olga Reed
Painted Mat vase with maple leaves and seeds
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $8,320

Carl Schmidt for Rookwood Pottery
Exceptional and large Iris Glaze vase
estimate: $12,500–17,500
result: $8,125

Kataro Shirayamadani
Flambé/Black Opal vase with crawfish in reeds
estimate: $6,000–9,000
result: $8,125

Edward T. Hurley for Rookwood Pottery
Vellum vase with fish
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $8,125