Roseville Pottery Arts And Crafts

Along with Stickley furniture and the copper lamps of Dirk van Erp, the works of the Roseville Pottery Company are treasured staples of the American Arts and Crafts movement. The straightforward naturalism of vintage Roseville bowls, vases, dishes and other ceramics represent a frank, American aesthetic distinct from the more stylized European Art Nouveau works of the same period. Roseville Pottery works are the essence of honest artisanry.

Founded in Roseville, Ohio, in 1890, the company originally focused on flowerpots, mixing bowls, and other household items, but branched out into art pottery in 1900. An early manifestation of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States — which celebrated traditional craftsmanship and would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright — was Fulper, Rookwood and Roseville pottery. Hand-painted florals and gourd-like shapes were the pieces’ most obvious characteristics. 

Roseville pottery typically features decorative motifs inspired by nature — the company’s Pinecone and Blackberry patterns are perennial favorites among collectors — and glazes in warm, earthy shades of brown and gold.

Roseville's Pinecone pattern was the brainchild of art director Frank Ferrell, who sculpted the prototype for each piece by hand. His most successful ideas went into mass production, while others were limited to only a few experimental pieces. These “experimentals” are now the most sought-after Roseville wares — look for the official Roseville pottery marks on the bottom or side of a piece, along with a number or (in some cases) even a note.

As you will see from the items on these pages, Roseville Pottery produced ceramics of timeless and enduring warmth and beauty. They merit a place in every collection of American design.

Find vintage Roseville bowls, vessels and other works for sale on 1stDibs.

Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.

The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.

American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.

Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.

Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.