ROOKWOOD, Z-LINE HAND CARVED MAT SIGNED 1904

This is a gorgeous, hand thrown and carved mat vase created by Rose Fechheimer in 1904. Model number 167 Z. The "Z" denotes the brand new "Mat Glaze" line which was all the rage in 1900. At the time, only Grueby was using mat glazes on its pottery. Rookwood created the "Z-Line" to compete with the public demand for mat finish. A. Van Briggle, who introduced mat glaze at Rookwood, left Rookwood at this time and began his own line of mat glazed wares. However, Rookwood's pottery differed from both Grueby and Van Briggle in that the glaze was applied to the baked body and not the clay. No preliminary painting with slips was necessary because the material was both the glaze and the decoration. The "Z" was only used until 1904; after that the mat line was renumbered and added to the general collection.