In 1904 Rookwood introduced the Scenic Vellum glaze, a hybrid between the transparent gloss glaze and a matte finish, a finish which won the firm yet another grand prize at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The nature of the glaze lent itself to scenes that reflected the American Tonalist movement: quiet landscapes marked by hazy atmospheres, a stream or pond bordered by trees, and scenes depicting shifting quality of light.
This vase, decorated by longtime Rookwood artist Ed Diers, utilizes the vellum glaze to full effect to showcase a quintessential American landscape in its fall finery: a group of massive trees, in rich hues of autumn gold, litter a vast plain with their fallen leaves. In the distance, glimpsed beyond the trees, snow-capped mountains rise up to frame the vista.
Diers was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, training at the Industrial Art School and the Cincinnati Art Academy. He worked for Rookwood Pottery for several decades, specializing in scenes of the nearby Ohio River valley and the American West; his work is widely recognized today.
Height: 8 ⅝ inches (21.9 cm)