Rookwood Pottery – Pattern #2017

This Rookwood Pottery inkwell, marked for 2023 (XXIII), is a reissue of a historic design originally introduced in the early 1910s.

The Form and Glaze

• Design: This is a minimalist, low-profile inkwell characterized by its rounded, squat body and a stable base elevated on three integral nub feet. The design emphasizes the “Arts and Crafts” aesthetic of simplicity and functional beauty.
• Glaze: The finish is a matte, mottled brown glaze. This type of glaze, often called “Bengal Brown” or a variation of the “Ombroso” line, was designed to create a rustic, earthy texture. The lighter tan “breaking” on the edges is a natural result of the matte glaze thinning during the kiln firing.
• Components: The set includes a removable liner.

Explanation of the Marks

• RP Logo: The “Reverse RP” monogram with 14 flames is the standard Rookwood mark. Historically, 14 flames indicated the year 1900; since 1901, the company has used Roman numerals below the flames to denote the specific year.
• XXIII: This Roman numeral represents the year 2023.
• 2017: This is the shape or pattern number. In Rookwood’s sequential system, shape 2017 was first introduced into the catalog around 1913.
• The X Mark: The “X” impressed on the bottom signifies that this piece is a factory “second”. This indicates that the piece has a minor technical or aesthetic imperfection—such as a glaze crawl, a small firing bubble, or a slight color variation—that prevented it from being sold as a first-quality retail item.

History of Rookwood Pottery

Rookwood Pottery was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, making her the first woman in the United States to own a major manufacturing business.

• Artistic Legacy: The pottery became world-famous for its technical innovations in glazes (like the high-gloss “Standard Glaze” and the matte “Vellum”) and for hiring world-class decorators, including the Japanese master Kataro Shirayamadani.
• Decline and Revival: While the original company struggled through the Great Depression and closed in 1967, the brand was revived in 2006. Today, the company operates in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, using original 19th and 20th-century molds to produce “Heritage” pieces.

To see more about how these historic markings evolved and how to identify different eras of Rookwood, this guide on Rookwood Pottery Markings provides an excellent visual walkthrough of the factory’s stamps and date codes.