Edward Timothy Hurley (E.T.) was most notably a ceramic artist working at the Rookwood Pottery in his native Cincinnati during the early 1900s through the 40s. Yet starting around 1905, he began experimenting with cast bronzes and his muse was the seahorse as well as a handful of other sea creatures. According to Riley Humler who has written much about the artist, Hurley would create the mold and have it cast, and then would do all the hand finishing and apply these incredible greenish black patinas himself. Some objects contain small blue ceramic inserts which he collected for use at Rookwood. Humler notes that sometime in the 1930s, the Smith Metal Arts Company may have taken over some production of the line of Hurley bronzes yet none have ever surfaced signed. Some pieces have surfaced signed with his ETH mark or full signature as well as a date, yet most are unsigned.
