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Martin Brothers

Martin Brothers pottery is one of the most recognisable areas of the antiques market. The four Martin brothers, Walter, Robert, Edwin and Charles, began producing their wares in 1873 with a kiln at the family home in Fulham. They expanded in 1877, moving to a disused soap works on Havelock Road in Southall, where they continued until 1923.

Their glazed anthropomorphic bird jars are among their most sought-after works, but their vases, jugs and tiles which are often modelled with grotesque caricatures all remain highly collectable.


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Lampshade highlights the work of Quentin Bell, the last of Bloomsbury

22 January 2024

A lampshade painted by Quentin Bell sold for a remarkable £4700 when Adam Partridge (20% buyer’s premium) dispersed the residual collection of Michael Evans in Macclesfield.

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Grotesque proves attractive when it comes to Martinware

08 January 2024

Latest ceramics sales demonstrate how Martinware demand has moved on beyond Wally Birds

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Top stories this week including news of a stolen Martinware bird returned to museum after 15 years

24 September 2023

The most viewed stories on this website over the last week included news of a Martinware bird being recovered after it was consigned to auction.

Chris Marinello and Dr Jonathan Oates

Stolen Martinware bird returned to museum after 15 years

14 September 2023

A third stolen Martinware bird has been recovered more than 15 years after it was stolen in west London.

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ATG letter: Why no Martin Brothers shows at museums?

12 June 2023

I would like to thank George Kingham of Kinghams Auctioneers and Michael Jefferies at Woolley & Wallis for organising two exhibitions to commemorate 150 years since the Martin Brothers Pottery was founded and 100 years since Robert Wallace Martin died (see ATG Nos 2587 and 2594).

Martinware birds

Martinware birds flock to Salisbury

22 May 2023

Salisbury auction house Woolley & Wallis is holding a Martin Brothers anniversary exhibition from June 13-22.

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Kinghams marks 150 years since the founding of Martin Brothers pottery with special exhibition

03 April 2023

ATG made a visit to Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds for Kinghams Auctioneers’ Martinware show

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News in Brief including the launch of a major Martin Brothers show

13 March 2023

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including an exhibition in the Cotswolds to mark 150 years since the inauguration of the Martin Brothers pottery

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Lots on offer from ceramics champion Bob Ellison

13 February 2023

An artist, collector and ceramics specialist, Bob Ellison donated over 600 pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in his lifetime.

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Flower power as Martinware, Amphora and Daum lead auction of single owner collection

09 January 2023

Edward and Marilyn Flower embraced a huge variety of collecting enthusiasms.

Martin Brothers' spoon warmer

Martin Brothers' grotesque grinner is a winner at auction

05 December 2022

An old family collection of Martin Brothers stonewares, assembled with purchases from the Southall potters in the late 19th and early 20th century, was offered in Cambridgeshire.

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Jardinieres take root in Maine auction

14 February 2022

The varied mixed-discipline Winter Enchantment sale to be held in Maine by Thomaston Place auctions over three days from February 25-27 will include a sizeable glass and ceramics section.

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Martin Brothers tobacco jar and Peter Blake’s Pop Art collage are among four lots to watch

25 October 2021

With estimates from £400-50,000 here are four previews of upcoming items.

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Kinghams showcases British art pottery in new venue

17 May 2021

Second sale since auction house move and name change is a British art pottery success

Martinware barrister face jug

Second Martinware pottery jug from Ealing theft returned

11 February 2021

A face jug from the Ealing Martinware thefts has been returned – the second piece from the Ealing Council’s collection to be recovered in recent months.

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Renewed plea to help find missing Martinware pieces from Ealing council

01 December 2020

A group of Martinware pottery items stolen across two break-ins back in 2005 and 2007 from buildings owned by Ealing Council are still missing but there are hopes some can be recovered.

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Martinware theft: Ealing bird found

23 November 2020

A missing Martinware bird has been recovered more than 15 years after it was stolen from Southall Library in Ealing, west London.

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Wally birds and Moorcroft retain star appeal

26 October 2020

Topping a 360-lot, £242,000 single-owner collection of Martinware and Moorcroft at Kingham & Orme (23% buyer’s premium) was a Robert Wallace Martin grotesque bird.

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Martin Brothers bird among highlights of two-day decorative sale

26 October 2020

More than 700 lots of Decorative Arts and Design spanning the 19th through to the early years of this century were offered for sale by Woolley & Wallis (25/12% buyer’s premium) in Salisbury over two days.

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£17,000 Martinware tortoise emerges from hibernation

24 August 2020

This Martin Brothers stoneware model of a tortoise with a mirthful face was a very welcome discovery for auctioneer Rupert Toovey on a post-lockdown valuation in the Surrey Hills.