American (Cincinnati, Ohio), 20th century. One Rookwood Pottery rook bookend dating to 1944. Marked XLIV/2275 and stamped WMC for artist William P. McDonald. Measures 5.25" H x 5.5" L x 3.25" W.

Please acknowledge a crack in the glazing that runs parallel across the bird.

Opened in 1880, Rookwood Pottery would grow to become one of the first female-owned manufacturing companies in the United States due to the vision of Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, the daughter of prominent Cincinnatian Joseph Longworth. The company was founded following Storer’s discovery of French and Japanese ceramics at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. In the following years, she established Rookwood in a renovated schoolhouse under the name of her family’s estate. After relocating to a larger property, William Watts Taylor was hired as the manager of Rookwood. His expertise led the company to success with his ability to curate inventory and decorators. Nearing the turn of the century, Rookwood procured countless awards such as the Gold Medal at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris and continued to display new glazes and techniques around the world. From the 1890s to 1915, most of Rookwood’s designs were produced by individual artists such as Albert Robert Valentien, known for his Scenic Vellum glaze. The 1920s would be the final decade of Rookwood’s roaring success before a few tumultuous years due to the Great Depression, financial hardships, and lessened artistic touch by decorators. In 1967, the original Rookwood Pottery Company closed for good. Now under new ownership, Rookwood has returned to Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood where they produce modern and historically inspired pottery to this day.