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

Martin Ware

Bottle
July 1901 (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 coloured glazes
Brief description
Small 'Martin Ware' bottle vase with ribs and bulbous base, salt-glazed stoneware with coloured glazes, made by Martin Bros., Southall, dated 1901
Physical description
Small bottle vase, thin neck, ribbed bulbous body. Stoneware. Ivory glaze with brown vertical strokes and brown patches on ribs.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16.4cm
  • Width: 5.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
'7-1901 / Martin Bros / London & Southall' (Maker's mark incised on base)
Gallery label
Bottle 'Martin Ware' made by the Martin Bros., Southall, Middlesex, England, dated 1901 Mark: 'Martin Bros London & Southall 7-1901', incised Salt-glazed stoneware with coloured glazes C.487-1919 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 July 1901.
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.487-1919

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Record createdMarch 31, 2008
Record URL
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