Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Martin Ware

Bottle
1907 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This bottle is an example of the Martin Brothers' later work. The Martin Brothers established their first studio in Fulham in 1873 and moved to better equipped premises in Southall in 1877. They are perhaps best known for their eccentric and grotesque modelled wares featuring birds and other, often fantastical, creatures. Inspired by Japanese wares from the first, by 1900 they began to move towards more an organic rather than decorative style, closer in spirit to ceramics being produced in Europe as part of the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement. This bottle, with its ribbed bulbous body has a natural form akin to that of a seed or fruit.

The Martin Borthers played an intergral part in the revival of stoneware as an artistic medium in Britain,


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleMartin Ware (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Salt-glazed stoneware with painted decoration
Brief description
Bulbous octagonal 'Martin Ware' bottle, salt-glazed stoneware with painted decoration, made by Martin Bros., Southall, dated 1907
Physical description
Small bottle vase, thin neck, octagonal ribbed bulbous body. Stoneware. Dark brown glaze with white bands.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.8cm
  • Width: 6.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
'4-1907 / Martin Bros / 'London & Southall' (Maker's mark incised on base)
Gallery label
Bottle 'Martin Ware' made by the Martin Bros., Southall, Middlesex, England, dated 1907 Mark: 'Martin Bros Lambeth & Southall 4-1907', incised Salt-glazed stoneware with painted decoration C.485-1919 The 2nd Lieutenant Francis Bedford Marsh (1914-1918) War Memorial Gift(23/05/2008)
Credit line
The 2nd Lieutenant Francis Bedford Marsh 1914-1918 War Memorial Gift
Production
Dated April 1907.
Summary
This bottle is an example of the Martin Brothers' later work. The Martin Brothers established their first studio in Fulham in 1873 and moved to better equipped premises in Southall in 1877. They are perhaps best known for their eccentric and grotesque modelled wares featuring birds and other, often fantastical, creatures. Inspired by Japanese wares from the first, by 1900 they began to move towards more an organic rather than decorative style, closer in spirit to ceramics being produced in Europe as part of the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement. This bottle, with its ribbed bulbous body has a natural form akin to that of a seed or fruit.

The Martin Borthers played an intergral part in the revival of stoneware as an artistic medium in Britain,
Collection
Accession number
C.485-1919

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Record createdMarch 31, 2008
Record URL
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