ROOKWOOD 1321 JAR
The Rookwood 1321 jar is a small pottery jar that was made by the Rookwood Pottery Company. The 1321 is the mold number that this incredible little clay jar came from. The height of the jar is about 4 inches and the width is about 3 ½ inches. This mold pattern consists of a small rimmed jar with a lid and a small inner lid. The outer lid of the Rookwood 1321 jar is embroidered with dainty little flowers that surround the rim of the lid. The use of floral decorations was commonly used on this type of jar mold. The markings on the bottom of the Rookwood 1321 jar will help to identify the many attributes of its origin.
The Rookwood Pottery Company was located in Cincinnati, Ohio in the year 1879. Maria Longworth Nichols Storer was the founder of the company. One of the many employees that Maria hired was Laura Fry. Laura Fry invented the patent in 1884 for the air brush blending process that was used on many of the Rookwood pottery pieces. The air brush styling was used to blend the many colors into the pottery. One of the first unique pottery lines made by Rookwood was the Standard Ware in 1884. The Standard Ware is a brown pottery that has an underglaze slip. In the following year 1885, Karl Langenbeck was hired as the chemist to supervise the mixing of the clay to make the perfect pottery clay used in the Rookwood 1321 jar. In 1894 the Sea Green and Iris lines were being produced and in 1904 the Vellum. Also the Ombroso in 1910 and the Soft Porcelain was the next arriving in the pottery line being made.
Many of the production pottery came from the molds that were being used in the 20th century. One of the markings on the Rookwood pottery may be a reverse RP design. The first of many markings on the bottom of the Rookwood 1321 Jar. The reserve RP monogram was introduced in the year 1886 and a flame point was included above the RP for each additional year until 1900. After 1900, the Roman numerals were used below the RP to indicate the year that each piece of pottery was made. Letters were molded into the pottery pieces to signify the types of clays that were being used. A letter G was for ginger, R for red, O for olive, Y is yellow, W is white and S is for sage green. The Rookwood 1321 jar is almost always a signed piece of pottery.
By the year 1904 the common use of the Standard Ware line were starting to diminish in popularity. The Matt finishes and Vellum glazes were the more popular as the company continued to grow. Both of these finishes are used on the Rookwood 1321 jar. The Rookwood Company was expanding to large architectural murals, tiles and large wall plaques. By the 1920’s the pottery was being made in master molds with the artist’s initials. The matt finish was largely used to help lower the cost of their production. With hard times setting in and World War II the Rookwood Company was in financial troubles. By 1967 the Rookwood pottery was forced to close its doors. With the closing of the Rookwood Company and the pottery no longer being made it only helped to increase the value of the Rookwood 1321 Jar.
As we look back to the history of the Rookwood 1321 jar it is easy to see how this beautiful small jar has become a true treasure to possess. With all the many colors and different finishes that are used to individualize this antique piece of pottery. The high value is a small price to pay for a work of art from some of the masters of the pottery industry from a time long ago. It would be a treat to say that I have a Rookwood 1321 jar setting in my display cabinet.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
JEMEZ CLAY POTTERY
JEMEZ CLAY POTTERY
Jemez clay pottery is a product of the Towa or Jemez Native American Indian tribes. The making of clay pottery is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Many of the ancient clay pots have been put in museums for display of this most ancient art form. Clay pots have been used for centuries. The pottery was used for carrying water, storing food and gathering seeds for next years planting of crops. This age old craft has been handed down from one generation to the next. The Jemez clay pottery is a very distinctive pottery that has many traits that identify it as one that belongs to the Jemez Indians.
The Jemez Indians lived in a region called the Northern Four Corners. The Jemez tribes lived mostly in the mountains of the San Juan River basin. They lived up in the mountains or on the plateau of the high cliffs. The Towa natives were sometimes called the cliff dwellers. The building of their homes high among the mountains and cliffs helped to keep them safe from other tribes or the Spanish that has settled into this area. One of the early traits of the Jemez clay pottery is the black on white of Rosa clay pots. The clay pottery is white or a dull gray with black lines or markings that has a design used by the Towa natives. The pottery is painted with a vegetal paint that was made by a mineral pigment common to that region. As the Towa natives moved southward through the mountains they took their pottery with them. As a result of their movement the clay that they used to make theirs pottery changed also. The clay pottery was then called black on red. The Towa tribes came to settle in the Jemez Mountains that has clay that is a reddish-brown in color and very rich looking. In the early to the middle of the 18th century the Jemez Indians came into conflict with the Spanish who had moved into their territory and fighting broke out among them. The Towa natives destroyed the Jemez clay pottery so that the Spanish could not have possession of their valued heritage. As a direct result of the shattering of the pottery the making of Jemez clay pottery was a lost craft for many centuries.
The making of the Jemez clay pottery is a very long and tedious task. Once the clay is gather from the right source it is then soaked for the cleaning and removal of stones and twigs. The clay is then dried in the sun and ground into a fine powder to be mixed with sand if needed. The clay is then tempered and stored in tightly sealed containers to be used later. One of the methods that the Jemez clay pottery is made by is the coil method. The potter takes the clay and rolls rope coils with the clay and starts to form his shape for his unique piece of pottery. Once the shape is achieved he then begins to hand smooth the clay to its rich luster. The slab technique is much the same as the coil method but slabs of clay are used instead of coils. Once the perfection of the pottery is attained it is then dried to a hard leathery condition. It is sanded, decorated or carved with the many different designs use for Jemez clay pottery. Some of the images that are put on the pottery are images of corn which mean life, health or happiness. Eagle feathers may also be carved or painted on a clay pot that can symbolize power. The Jemez pots can have a series of lines that look like stair steps. Perhaps this is from the times of living in the mountains and using stairs as a way to get into their homes. A clay slip is placed upon the pot and while the slip is still wet it is burnished using a round stone. The art work is then painted with the natural paint of choice. The last of the process is to fire the piece of art work in a kiln. The modern day potter has two options. He can use an electric kiln or a much older method that is still used today which is the open kiln method. The firing of a piece of pottery is what oxidizes the pot so that it will become hard. This is a very skilled process to achieve the right hardness and color that the potter is hoping to acquire. The many hours of crafting this beautiful piece of art work is what makes the Jemez clay pottery a tradition that has come down through history.
The Jemez clay pottery is an art from the past. It has survived many centuries of hardship and was almost lost forever. The Jemez American Indians have preserved this rich cultural heritage to bring the people of today the clay pots of centuries ago. The Jemez clay pottery is crafted to be as unique as the potter who is sculpting his clay pot. Time will never be able to undo what the ancient Towa natives have crafted into their pottery.
Jemez clay pottery is a product of the Towa or Jemez Native American Indian tribes. The making of clay pottery is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Many of the ancient clay pots have been put in museums for display of this most ancient art form. Clay pots have been used for centuries. The pottery was used for carrying water, storing food and gathering seeds for next years planting of crops. This age old craft has been handed down from one generation to the next. The Jemez clay pottery is a very distinctive pottery that has many traits that identify it as one that belongs to the Jemez Indians.
The Jemez Indians lived in a region called the Northern Four Corners. The Jemez tribes lived mostly in the mountains of the San Juan River basin. They lived up in the mountains or on the plateau of the high cliffs. The Towa natives were sometimes called the cliff dwellers. The building of their homes high among the mountains and cliffs helped to keep them safe from other tribes or the Spanish that has settled into this area. One of the early traits of the Jemez clay pottery is the black on white of Rosa clay pots. The clay pottery is white or a dull gray with black lines or markings that has a design used by the Towa natives. The pottery is painted with a vegetal paint that was made by a mineral pigment common to that region. As the Towa natives moved southward through the mountains they took their pottery with them. As a result of their movement the clay that they used to make theirs pottery changed also. The clay pottery was then called black on red. The Towa tribes came to settle in the Jemez Mountains that has clay that is a reddish-brown in color and very rich looking. In the early to the middle of the 18th century the Jemez Indians came into conflict with the Spanish who had moved into their territory and fighting broke out among them. The Towa natives destroyed the Jemez clay pottery so that the Spanish could not have possession of their valued heritage. As a direct result of the shattering of the pottery the making of Jemez clay pottery was a lost craft for many centuries.
The making of the Jemez clay pottery is a very long and tedious task. Once the clay is gather from the right source it is then soaked for the cleaning and removal of stones and twigs. The clay is then dried in the sun and ground into a fine powder to be mixed with sand if needed. The clay is then tempered and stored in tightly sealed containers to be used later. One of the methods that the Jemez clay pottery is made by is the coil method. The potter takes the clay and rolls rope coils with the clay and starts to form his shape for his unique piece of pottery. Once the shape is achieved he then begins to hand smooth the clay to its rich luster. The slab technique is much the same as the coil method but slabs of clay are used instead of coils. Once the perfection of the pottery is attained it is then dried to a hard leathery condition. It is sanded, decorated or carved with the many different designs use for Jemez clay pottery. Some of the images that are put on the pottery are images of corn which mean life, health or happiness. Eagle feathers may also be carved or painted on a clay pot that can symbolize power. The Jemez pots can have a series of lines that look like stair steps. Perhaps this is from the times of living in the mountains and using stairs as a way to get into their homes. A clay slip is placed upon the pot and while the slip is still wet it is burnished using a round stone. The art work is then painted with the natural paint of choice. The last of the process is to fire the piece of art work in a kiln. The modern day potter has two options. He can use an electric kiln or a much older method that is still used today which is the open kiln method. The firing of a piece of pottery is what oxidizes the pot so that it will become hard. This is a very skilled process to achieve the right hardness and color that the potter is hoping to acquire. The many hours of crafting this beautiful piece of art work is what makes the Jemez clay pottery a tradition that has come down through history.
The Jemez clay pottery is an art from the past. It has survived many centuries of hardship and was almost lost forever. The Jemez American Indians have preserved this rich cultural heritage to bring the people of today the clay pots of centuries ago. The Jemez clay pottery is crafted to be as unique as the potter who is sculpting his clay pot. Time will never be able to undo what the ancient Towa natives have crafted into their pottery.
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