MARTIN WARE
Last updated | 26/05/2011
The First Studio Pottery
Four brothers Wallace, Walter, Charles, and Edwin produced a
distinct style of stoneware pottery beginning in the 1870’s
until Edwin’s death in 1915. Today the Martin brothers are
best remembered for their bird jars, and their bowls and pottery
decorated in distinctive styles. Throughout their career the
brothers continued to experiment with new forms, colours and
decorative ideas but these were not always successful. The bird
jars like the one illustrated were first made in the 1880’s
and continued to be produced into the early 20th century.
The design derived from old English pottery jugs in the form of
birds but the exact function of these jars remains uncertain. The
jars also became known as Wally Birds and were made in all number
of different shapes and sizes. Many of the birds are caricatures of
professional people and one of the most famous caricatures was the
Prime Minister Gladstone. Each piece of Martin ware pottery is
individual and it gives the collector the chance to buy a unique
and quirky creation. Martin ware had a number of wealthy patrons
including the artist
David Young Cameron.
Cameron was a frequent visitor to Perth Museum and Art Gallery and
made a number of contributions to the collection as a way to help
promote the arts, including nearly fifty pieces of Martin ware
which cover all periods and styles of the brothers' output. The
image shows a detail of a Martin ware Bird Jar from the Perth
Museum and Art Gallery Collection, bequeathed by D Y Cameron in
1945.
