Jug 1892

This elegant jug was made by the Rookwood Pottery Company, active between 1880 and 1967. Rookwood Pottery was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was notably one of the first American companies led by a woman, Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, and it quickly gained international recognition for its high-quality art pottery. The company thrived during the American Arts and Crafts movement, a design movement that rejected industrial production, advocating for handcraftsmanship and drawing inspiration from nature. The jug reflects this ethos through its organic forms, the vine and grape motifs, and the emphasis on unique, handcrafted finishes. The silver overlay is particularly notable, as it highlights the jug's contours and adds a luxurious feel, pointing to the consumer culture of the time. The Rookwood Pottery Company became a cultural institution, demonstrating how art and industry could merge. Further research into the company archives, design catalogs, and period publications will provide a fuller understanding of the jug's place within the history of American decorative arts and its broader cultural context.