Martin Ware
Bottle
1900 (made)
1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
If Martin-ware [… has] not the transparency of porcelain nor the elaborately and costly ornamentation of Sèvres [it is] pure and honest art work.
This is how the art critic Cosmo Monkhouse described the output of the Martin Brothers' studio in The Magazine of Art in 1882. Eccentric founder Robert Wallace Martin and his siblings Charles, Walter and Edwin epitomized the energy and experimentation of the nineteenth-century art pottery movement. They regarded pottery as a means of artistic expression, rather than a product of industrial manufacture, and were particularly inspired by the naturalistic and rustic flora and fauna forms of the sixteenth-century potter Bernard Palissy and Japanese art - the use of blank space in this underwater design shows the influence of Japanese print-makers.
This flask is typical of the Martin Brothers' grotesque and eccentric stonewares and demonstrates a unique blend of fantasy and imagination.
This is how the art critic Cosmo Monkhouse described the output of the Martin Brothers' studio in The Magazine of Art in 1882. Eccentric founder Robert Wallace Martin and his siblings Charles, Walter and Edwin epitomized the energy and experimentation of the nineteenth-century art pottery movement. They regarded pottery as a means of artistic expression, rather than a product of industrial manufacture, and were particularly inspired by the naturalistic and rustic flora and fauna forms of the sixteenth-century potter Bernard Palissy and Japanese art - the use of blank space in this underwater design shows the influence of Japanese print-makers.
This flask is typical of the Martin Brothers' grotesque and eccentric stonewares and demonstrates a unique blend of fantasy and imagination.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Martin Ware (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Salt-glazed stoneware with incised and painted decoration, cork and metal. The exterior was painted in a white slip, which was then incised. The incised decoration was then partly filled in and over-painted in brown before firing and salt-glazing. |
| Brief description | 'Martin Ware' bottle, salt-glazed stoneware with incised and painted decoration, made by Martin Bros., London, 1900 |
| Physical description | Flask with cork stopper in metal mount. Salt-glazed stoneware with incised and painted decoration of fantastic fish. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Martin Bros London & Southall 9-1900' (incised)
|
| Gallery label |
|
| Credit line | Given by Miss N. V. Wade |
| Object history | Given by Miss N.V.Wade |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | If Martin-ware [… has] not the transparency of porcelain nor the elaborately and costly ornamentation of Sèvres [it is] pure and honest art work. This is how the art critic Cosmo Monkhouse described the output of the Martin Brothers' studio in The Magazine of Art in 1882. Eccentric founder Robert Wallace Martin and his siblings Charles, Walter and Edwin epitomized the energy and experimentation of the nineteenth-century art pottery movement. They regarded pottery as a means of artistic expression, rather than a product of industrial manufacture, and were particularly inspired by the naturalistic and rustic flora and fauna forms of the sixteenth-century potter Bernard Palissy and Japanese art - the use of blank space in this underwater design shows the influence of Japanese print-makers. This flask is typical of the Martin Brothers' grotesque and eccentric stonewares and demonstrates a unique blend of fantasy and imagination. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.33-1974 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 31, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
