Roseville Pottery: A few quick ways to determine if it is real or not

During this last sale I found myself happily knee deep in really good quality pottery and glassware. I often rely on my bidding clients to let me know the direction of the market with certain items. This time there was no question that Roseville is gaining a lot of interest with many bidders out there. This we noticed immediately with  the Fuchsia Vase #89. The strong interest in that item and the others Roseville items we have carried in the past makes it all that much more important that we at www.notyourmothersestatesale.com work to give our customers the most information we can find about a item that is available out in the market place today.

That brings us to todays Blog subject on Roseville Pottery telling a fake from a real.
There are many ways to detect as fake but it requires a strict discipline and attention to almost at times unseen detail. However here are a few quick things to look for when examining a Roseville Pottery item, and as always use the internet to educate yourself as much as possible about the item you are looking at.

1.The glaze on most fakes is very dull and lacks depth. The glaze is flat and does not usually reveal the clay color underneath. It will also feel rough and not as smooth and finished as a  authentic piece

2. Handles on the reproductions tend to be thicker and details are not as refined.

3.Most shapes vary significantly from the originals.

4.Leaves on real pieces are brighter and stand out from the background better.

5. Most of the background colors vary significantly from the original colors and the color of the clay is usually whiter than the originals.

6.Pieces will most always say "Roseville U.S.A." (usually very low relief on the USA) or "Roseville" on the bottom, even if they were not marked on original pieces. Initially, the Roseville fakes had a raised ("in relief") "Roseville USA" on the bottom. Also the "R"'s tend to be very different from the authentic Roseville "R"'s

As always I hope this little bit helps and I have included a few links that list the different styles and types

http://www.wwcomponents.net/roseville/roseville.html#lookfor

 http://antiques.about.com/od/reproductions/ss/aa040506.htm

Head Vases who knew? I grew up surrounded by these items. My grandmother had a sun porch and we would sit on it chatting listening to music from the e 50's as she would fill them with "real" plastic flowers so they could be dole at the local flea market where she had a weekend booth. Two things I remember most was the suffocating smell of dusty plastic flowers int he heat of the sun room and second how much I wanted to grow up and look like those head vases, so elegant. 

    Head vases were hip as far back as the the late 1940's. Most of the original head vases were 9 1/2" but with increased costs by the the 1960's the head vases had shrunken in size to 4 1/2" to allow a profit margin by the production companies.
     These head vases were produced by thirteen (13) different companies.  




This lovely lady was just sold in our last auction, she was free of any crack, chips or crazing considered to be in Very Good Condition. The tags below were actual from her base.

For more information on Head Vases go to http://www.headvasemuseum.com
Brinn's China-GlasswareEnesco Corporation
Ceramic Arts StudioThe Geo. Zoltan Lefton Co.

Lego Imports-Goldman Morgan    Napco  

Irving W. Rice & Co., Inc.      Rubens Originals
UCAGCO

As well as : Samson Import Co. Inc. / Reliable Glassware & Pottery Co., Inc., Betty Lou Nichols Ceramics, INARCO, Holt Howard Associates, Inc.,