Rookwood’s $50,000 “Uranus” Tiger Eye vase, the famous and until recently, lost treasure, made circa 1899, by Albert Valentien and exhibited in the 1900 Paris Exposition. Standing 18 1/2 inches tall, the vase has incised design of cranes in flight by Valentien but the most important feature is the incredible Tiger Eye effect over most of the form which at its very best, has an almost liquid quality. Marks include the Rookwood logo and shape number 139 A. The date and artist signature are obscured by the glaze. There are several chips off the base of the vase which occurred in the making. Glaze has flowed in the chips a bit and in photos of the vase, Rookwood has either placed objects in front of the base or sat it in a carved stand. But we are here to celebrate the Tiger Eye and not expound on the flaws, much as Rookwood has done. In 1920, Rookwood was celebrating its 40th anniversary with a display at the pottery. A newspaper account in the November 22nd Cincinnati Times-Star discussing the meritorious history of the pottery mentions the following: “It was a piece of Rookwood of the famous Tiger Eye type that won the Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition in 1900, and this wonderful vase, which may be seen in the display at the pottery, has been valued by some at $50,000. After barely surviving the Great Depression and bankruptcy, Rookwood revisited the Uranus vase during its 65th Anniversary in 1945. Herbert Peck describes the scene in “The Book of Rookwood Pottery” on page 125. “In November, Rookwood marked it sixty-fifth anniversary quietly. Mayor Stewart of Cincinnati opened the ceremony at 2:00 P.M. on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, and tours of the plant were conducted both Saturday and Sunday. The famous “Tiger Eye” vase, which was shown at the fortieth anniversary in 1920, was on display, but this time instead of being given an estimated value of $50,000, it was described as “a $10,000 vase.” Never having been sold by Rookwood, the Uranus vase became the property (along with the pottery itself) of George Sperti and his St. Thomas Institute and at some point was given by Sperti to a good friend, the father of the consignor. Sperti explained the significance of the vase to his friend who passed it on to his son. The term “Uranus” seems to have been given the vase in the 1960’s when Rookwood produced a card featuring the great vessel showing it with Medals won by the company in its salad days. In any event, this is a major piece of Rookwood’s history and that of the City of Cincinnati.

Appears uncrazed, base chips in making