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