"Lorelei" is a Germanic name meaning "luring rock". It is also the name of a rock headland on the eastern bank of the Rhine River which soars nearly 400 feet above the waterline. Legends say that a maiden named Lorelei was a beautiful seductress whose haunting voice led sailors to these hazardous rocks, causing them to be shipwrecked.

Auctioneer David Rago, foremost expert in American Arts and Crafts pottery and appraiser on the Antique Roadshow, states: "This vase, which bears a signature in Van Briggle's hand, is the only two-color version from 1902, essentially the first multi-color Lorelei known, and one of only a few of his iconic form of such early vintage. The modeling is excellent, as is the condition. I would think that, if one only wanted an exceptional single example of Van Briggle's work, this may as well be it."

Rago was indeed correct about the desirability and rarity of this vase, but understated its potential value to collectors, which soared to $275,000 well above the estimate of $50,000 to $75,000, surely an auction record for a Van Briggle vase! In a recent article of the Arts and Crafts Collector's Newsletter, Bruce Johnson describes the Lorelei vase as "by far the most popular vase ever designed and produced at the Van Briggle Pottery, and possibly the most famous piece of American art pottery ever produced".

The Two Red Roses Foundation is proud to add this example to its outstanding pottery collection.

Beauty In Common Things: American Arts and Crafts Pottery from the Two Red Roses Foundation, by noted author Martin Eidelberg, includes a section on the Van Briggle pottery, its history, and many biographical notes on Van Briggle himself. Eidelberg also catalogs and describes some of the Van Briggle vases in the TRRF collection.