Collecting Roseville pottery can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but you need to know the characteristics of the pottery and what you should watch out for in fake Roseville items.
The Roseville Pottery Company was founded in 1890 by George F. Young and continued to produce pottery until it closed its doors in 1954. Early pieces of the pottery, dating back to 1900, look very different from what collectors associate with the Roseville look. The earlier pieces, referred to as "Rozane" or Rozane Ware" are usually hand painted themes such as natural scenery or animals done in glossy browns and blues. The molded embossed patterns allowed the artists to handpaint the item. These pieces were not signed by the artists, something that would later become a tradition.
Later Roseville designs were mainly fruits and flowers done in pastel colors, raised on pebbled ground of grey, tan, or white having a dull mat-finish. These items were not handcrafted, but molded and fired in a tunnel kiln. Roseville was the first pottery in Ohio to use a kiln like this to increase its productivity. Pottery items you might find from Roseville include vases, crocks, pots, banks, and other cookery.
By the early twenties, Roseville introduced a line called Rosecraft, the predecessor of what would become the Roseville look.
Roseville had many lines through its years of operation including the matte green line called “Rozanne Egypto,” the glossy oxblood red line (like that often seen in Chinese pottery) called “Rozanne Mongol,” and Della Robbia (having Greek and Persian influences). However, the most popular line of Roseville was Pinecone. It was introduced in 1934 by Frank Ferrell, the company's art director. Pinecone appears in over 75 different shapes in rich blue, brown and soft green and the very rare pink background. The Pinecone line was produced for fifteen years.
Marks
Several different marks were used on Roseville pottery over the years and some pieces were never marked. Early pieces of Roseville pottery are identified by the mark of raised letters on the bottom reading “Roseville U.S.A." Some pieces may have had an impression mark on the bottom that was covered by glaze. Unfortunately, later pieces had paper stickers on the bottom and many have since fell off or been removed. Some pieces have three or four digit numbers then a dash followed by a one or two digit number. The first number identifies a style or design with the second number identifying the size.
Pricing
As with all items, demand plays a large part in determining how much a piece of Roseville pottery might sell for and some pieces are more desirable than others. For example, Pinecone is one of the more highly sought after lines. Most mint condition pieces of RozaneWare and Rosecraft can fetch thousands of dollars. Scarcity, size and design, and age are determining pricing factors. The value of a piece increases if it bears the signature or initials of the artist. Also, larger items that are still in mint condition fetch more than smaller items.
Fakes
As with many pottery lines, there are fake Roseville items. Many can be found online at auction sites such as eBay. If it is stated in the description that the item is a fake, it should not go for very much money. If it is stated by the owner that they “aren’t sure” if it is a fake or not, go with your gut instinct and assume it is a fake.
If you are looking at a piece in person, you can see that the coloring is often off, too dull. The clay is often whiter than real Roseville pottery and colors are significantly different from the real items.
Many of the reproductions come from China and say “Roseville” on the bottom with a space below it there USA should appear.
If you are thinking about collecting Roseville choose items and colors that you find attractive and appeal to your senses. Look for any flaws or cracks in items as that often diminishes the value. Watch out for fakes. And above all, just have fun collecting items you love.
