What is Mat Green?
Mat Green is a line of art pottery produced in 1905 by the Roseville Pottery Company in Zanesville, Ohio.

Who designed Mat Green?
The Mat Green line was likely designed by Frederick Rhead.

Mat Green is the name given by collectors to the line of green-glazed jardinières, umbrella stands, fern dishes, and oil-lamp bases. It appears that the first Roseville mat green glazes made their appearance in early 1905 in response to the success of Grueby Pottery and Gates (Teco) entries into the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair. It should not be confused with the line of small vases and bowls advertised as "Chloron Ware". The known advertisements for the line used the spelling "Mat" rather than Matt or Matte, so collectors use this terminology to distinguish the line from the later "Matte Green" produced after Egypto in 1906.

From a 1905 advertisement, Roseville had the following to say about the lamp bases:

"A phenomenal increase in the popularity of Pottery Lamps, especially in greens, has compelled us to create the above line to satisfy the demands upon us. They are made in the fashionable 'foliated' designs, and will fit the regular stock fount. They measure 5-1/4 to 5-1/2 inches inside opening. They make beautiful Flower Vases."

The glaze used on mat green was no different from the Chloron line, which could be smooth or variegated depending on the application. Most are unmarked, or die-impressed with a shape number.


When was Mat Green made?
The Mat Green line was only produced in 1905.

Several of the original mat green forms were reused as part of the Rozane Egypto line, and then used again for the more generic Matte Green line as it evolved. The actual mat green line existed for a very short time, possibly only months before it was supplanted by the Rozane Egypto line as part of the effort to consolidate the lines into an organized group.

Below are a few of the shapes offered in the Roseville Pottery Mat Green line.