Rookwood Pottery, founded by Maria Longworth Nichols in 1880, has become one of America’s most renowned art potteries, thanks in large part to the talented craftsmen who invented innovative glaze recipes and the team of talented artists who created beautiful decor. Rookwood catered to the changing tastes and decorative fashions of the period, creatively adapting to contemporary trends over the decades.

Sarah Sachs joined the decorating team at Rookwood Pottery in 1896 and worked there until 1931.

In Rookwood’s early years, the focus was on creating signature glaze lines. By the end of the 19th century, the most popular were high-gloss glazes such as Iris Glaze, which won awards at international exhibitions. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a translucent glaze of the Vellum series (parchment) was developed, which gave the image a slight blurriness. Over her 35 years of experience, Sarah Sachs has created many beautiful designs in a wide variety of styles with a wide variety of glazes and has become a recognized master of Rookwood’s many glaze lines. Her works became the best achievements of the Rookwood Pottery workshop in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.

A year after the successful debut of Vellum glaze, the factory began producing painting panels with this glaze. These miniatures, mounted in wooden frames, became a highly sought after item beginning in 1912. This line, which Sarah often contributed to the creation, was popular for four decades. Today, such paintings, signed by Sarah herself, are sold at prices starting from 10 thousand dollars.

Besides picturesque subjects and colors, Sarah Sachs’s favorite motif was peacock feathers, which were often included in the designs of the Art Deco period. Ms. Sachs’s vases are considered exceptional and highly sought after by collectors who consider her to be one of Rookwood Pottery’s finest artists.

Among the many glazes created at Rookwood is a special French red glaze – French Red. Its rich red color comes from an oxide that the firm imported directly from France in the 1920s. Due to the high cost of the ingredients, very few vases with this rare glaze were made. And almost all of them are decorated by Sarah Sachs.