Patti Rose Merriman 1888-1979 Original Art Nouveau Design for a Mosaic Mantel Facing 1905. Signed. Excellent condition. 17.5"h x 11.75"w. Frame 23"h x 17.5"w

A rare and historically significant original architectural rendering in watercolor and graphite, titled "Design for Mosaic Mantel Facing." This professional "working drawing" was executed by Patti Rose Merriman at the age of 17, during her tenure as a standout student at the Art Institute of Chicago and a founding associate of the influential architectural journal, The Sketch Book.

Patti Rose Merriman (later Patti Rose Conant) was a central figure in the American Arts and Crafts movement. After her early success in Chicago, she moved to Cincinnati and married fellow artist Arthur Conant in 1911. She is most famously recognized for her career as a premier decorator at the world-renowned Rookwood Pottery (1914-1923), where her botanical "Vellum" glaze works became highly sought after by collectors.

This 1905 rendering represents a vital "missing link" in her career, showing her professional capability nearly a decade before her famous Rookwood period.

While created independently in Chicago, this work shares the exact nomenclature, technical layout, and "Naturalist" aesthetic of the famous mosaic commissions produced by Tiffany Studios (notably the 1911 Kaufman Residence designs held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Such renderings were the industry standard for Gilded Age luxury interiors but were rarely preserved once the physical mantel was constructed.

This is an exceptional acquisition for collectors of Rookwood Pottery, Art Nouveau architectural drawings, or Women in the Arts. It is a rare, signed document of a young prodigy who would go on to become one of the most respected names in 20th-century American decorative ceramics.<

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by California Historical Design, Inc
June 27, 2026 11:00 AM PDT
1901 Broadway
Alameda, CA, US 94501

California Historical Design, Inc

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