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Object Timeline
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1903 |
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1913 |
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1970 |
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1984 |
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2012 |
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2013 |
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2024 |
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Rookwood Plaque
This is a Plaque. It was manufactured by Rookwood Pottery and decorated by Sarah Alice Toohey. It is dated 1903–13 and we acquired it in 1984. Its medium is molded and glazed earthenware. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.
Two Rooks
My student rental on one of the famous hills in Cincinnati yielded a one bedroom first floor apartment in an older house on a busy street. It seemed safe, was affordable, but most important and the selling point for me, were the Rookwood tiles embedded in the fireplace and doorway frame. Such tiles were popular at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, both on the exteriors of buildings for fireproofing qualities in response to the Chicago fire of 1871, and on interior surfaces, reflecting the public’s desire for more sanitary conditions. Aesthetics also played an important role as Americans embraced a décor that was uplifting and appeared hand-crafted, rather than machine-made.
The Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati, the largest of the over 100 potteries in the U.S. at the time, embraced the Arts and Crafts philosophy, describing the company as a “work-shop art industry and not a factory.” Well known for simple brown and green glazed vessels, Rookwood introduced an architectural faience (tile) department by 1902, producing a range of fireplace mantels and wall tiles, including tiles for the New York Subway system in 1903.
This particular tile, Rookwood, was made specifically for the pottery’s showrooms to advertise the full range of available matte glaze colors and textures. The dull-finishes were well suited to architecture. Sara Alice Toohey (see the artist’s relief monogram on lower left), in charge of the architectural department, created this tile’s simple design incorporating the company’s namesake, two rooks or ravens, in a flatten landscape.
Though I lived with that Rookwood fireplace for only a brief period, I recall it vividly. The memory of those simple architectural design elements re-connects me to that particular geographic location, where my everyday surroundings were transformed through design.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Two Rooks.
This object was
donated by
Marcia Goodman and William Goodman.
It is credited Gift of Marcia and William Goodman.
Its dimensions are
H x W x D: 37.8 x 20 x 3.2 cm (14 7/8 x 8 x 1 1/4 in.)
It has the following markings
Impressed on front as part of design: "ROOKWOOD"; Impressed on back: "ROOKWOOD FAIENCE 66 1288" / "1359Y"
It is signed
Artist's monogram molded in high relief, lower left corner: "ST"
Cite this object as
Rookwood Plaque; Manufactured by Rookwood Pottery (United States); Decorated by Sarah Alice Toohey (American, 1872–1941); USA; molded and glazed earthenware; H x W x D: 37.8 x 20 x 3.2 cm (14 7/8 x 8 x 1 1/4 in.); Gift of Marcia and William Goodman; 1984-84-22
