10/31/2026
A fondness for the macabre has been part of Rookwood from the start. Our founder, Maria Longworth Storer, embraced the unusual and championed the individuality of her artists. That freedom extended well beyond color or form, encouraging artists to push the boundaries of what pottery could depict and helping put Rookwood at the forefront of the American art pottery movement in the late 1800s.
Come Halloween, we find ourselves wandering through auction listings and museum archives, revisiting the more curious corners of Rookwood's history. From bats and spiders to dragons and snakes, birds, flowers, and tranquil natural scenes, the subjects span the wonderfully unexpected to the decidedly serene.
The pieces featured here were all decorated by Maria herself, offering a glimpse into the unconventional spirit that helped shape Rookwood from its earliest days.
Images courtesy of
