1937 "Thornapple" Squat Two-Handled Vase by Roseville

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6”Diam x 4”H

An exquisite artifact of mid-century American craftsmanship, this low-slung, dual-handled ceramic vase epitomizes the Thornapple line introduced … Read more 6”Diam x 4”H

An exquisite artifact of mid-century American craftsmanship, this low-slung, dual-handled ceramic vase epitomizes the Thornapple line introduced in 1937 by the Roseville Pottery Company. Founded in 1890 by J.F. Weaver in Roseville, Ohio, the company originally manufactured utilitarian stoneware like flowerpots and cuspidors before moving its headquarters to Zanesville, Ohio, in 1898 to tap into the region's rich native clay deposits and skilled artisans. Under the legendary leadership of art director Frank Ferrell, who shaped the company's aesthetic from 1919 until it ceased operations in 1954, Roseville successfully transitioned to commercial art pottery, capturing the public imagination with nature-inspired, relief-molded patterns designed for the average consumer. This specific Thornapple vessel beautifully bridges late Arts and Crafts organicism with the geometric restraint of early Art Deco, featuring a compressed, bulbous form flanked by a pair of integrated, angular handles that sweep downward to mimic industrial lines. The body is wrapped in a soothing, low-gloss robin's egg blue and sage glaze that cascades into a deep periwinkle base, highlighted by an organically occurring fine crackle matrix, or crazing, which imparts an antique depth to the glass-like finish. Central to the composition is a meticulously sculpted, low-relief sprig of the thornapple plant, featuring a spiky olive green seed pod bleeding into sweeping, serrated leaves where the hand-blended glaze pools and recedes over the contours to emphasize its natural form. The raw, unglazed underside reveals the authentic cream clay body and bears an incised script signature alongside the shape designation 808-4, a hallmark style of marking adopted by the pottery between 1936 and 1938 just before they transitioned to raised lettering, making this piece a pristine example of Roseville's celebrated legacy in American decorative arts.

Ohio, USA

1937 See less