Bowl, 1899

Large saltglazed stoneware bowl made by the Martin Brothers, Southall, London, 1899.

Incised decoration featuring aquatic, bird and plant life in the form of herons, ducks, kingfishers, dragonflies, irises, reeds and bullrushes in muted shades of brown and blue on a buff background.

The design was inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement’s use of Japanese design and natural motifs. The Martin Brothers’ Wallace, Edwin, Walter and Charles made pottery inspired by Doulton’s saltglazed stoneware in Fulham then Southall, London, from 1873-1914. They worked as artist-craftsmen making and decorating each entirely unique piece themselves.

They were the first studio potters and the forerunners of the movement established by Bernard Leach in the 1920s. They made a diverse range of decorative wares in stoneware to which they added incised decoration and a saltglaze which gives a distinctive orange-peel texture. Saltglaze stoneware is a very hard material originally used for drainpipes, bottles and jugs.