Abel Bear Ornament, Polar

Abel worked with Rookwood Pottery from 1919 to 1932, and the paperweights, bookends, and figurines she crafted largely feature animals. According to a 1943 issue of American Collector, Abel often sketched and modeled her sculptures from animals at the Cincinnati Zoo: “She has more than once sat for hours waiting for one of her subjects to get into a position suitable for modeling.”