Extremely Rare Victorian 1881 Martin Brothers Pottery Miniature Salt Cellar

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Extremely Rare Victorian 1881 Martin Brothers Pottery Miniature Salt Cellar:
$874.21

Here for your consideration, is an exquisite and extremelyrare, Victorian antique, handmade, 1881, Martin brothers,salt glaze, stoneware,miniature salt cellar, showing an aesthetic floral pattern,with carved and etched, applied decoration, set in relief.

A very rare miniature salt cellar, distinctive and attractivein appearance, set in a Renaissance style, that was made by Robert WallaceMartin in 1881. It has stunning dark tones of brown, fawn, cream and hints of grey and olive green, with the usual factory signed identification marks written to thebase, \'20.12.81, Martin, London & Southall\'.

This handmade Martin brothers miniature salt cellar is in goodcondition, commensurate with age, no chips, cracks, fleabites, or damage.

Pleasetake time to look at all 12 photos to fully appreciatetheamount of workmanship that\'s gone into making this delightful little miniature salt cellar.

Martin Brothers ....

Pottery manufacturers inLondonwho areconsidered to represent the transition from decorative Victorianceramicsto twentieth centurystudio pottery in England.

The four brothers (Wallace, Walter, Charles andEdwin) produced a distinctive type ofstonewarepottery from the1870s through to theFirst World War, with a little work being producedthrough to 1923 when their pottery closed. TheMartinwarePottery(1873-1923) is a good example of a Victorian art pottery, and the outputincluded both illustrative and sculptural work. They were best known for theirbird sculptures and bowls, vessels decorated with sea creatures, and tiles, fashionedin a whimsical but highly skillful style.

The Pottery was started inFulhamin1873 by Robert Wallace Martin (1843–1923),who had trained asasculptor. In 1877 the business was moved to HavelockRoad,Southall, Middlesex, where it remained and several of the brotherswere ultimately buried in the cemetery along the road. Walter Fraser Martin(1857-1912) supplied the technical expertise, specializing in coloured glazesand became the firm\'s specialist on the wheel; Edwin Bruce Martin (1860-1915) wasthe thrower and decorator whose work included most of the fish and flowerdesigns; and Charles Douglas Martin (1846-1910) managed the shop.

They worked mainly with asaltglazestoneware, a high-temperature firing method where salt was throwninto the kiln, in order to fuse with the clay and give a surface which could beglassy or matt depending on the conditions of each firing. Whereas manystoneware glazes obscure the body itself, the saltglaze method served tohighlight the impressed and incised decoration on the surface of their pots.The colours included browns, greens, greys and blues, and this subdued paletteis distinctive of Martinware.

Robert Wallace Martin, the eldest brother, hadworked for a while for the architectural sculptor J. B. Phillips of VauxhallBridge Road, and later took drawing classes at the nearbyLambeth Schoolof Art. Walter and Edwin Martin also studied there, and both worked for a timeat theRoyal DoultonPottery, also in Lambeth.

Salt Cellar ....

Asalt cellar(also called asalt) is an article oftablewarefor holding and dispensingsalt. Salt cellars can be either lidded or open, and are found in a wide range of sizes, from large shared vessels to small individual dishes. Styles range from simple to ornate or whimsical, using materials including glass, metals, ivory, wood, and ceramic.The word salt-cellar is attested in English from the 15th century. It combines the English wordsalt with the Anglo-Norman word saler, which also meant \"salt-cellar\".

The use of salt cellars is documented as early asclassical Rome. They continued to be used through the first half of the 20th century, however, usage began to decline with the introduction offree-flowing saltin 1911, and have been almost entirely replaced bysalt shakers.

Their role at the table was replaced by the shaker, but now salt cellars have became very popular collectibles in their own right.

Dimensions as follows ....

Height: 1.25 inches or 3.2 cm

Diameter: 3.1 inches or 8 cm (widest point)

Weight: 117 grams or 4.1 ozs

This is an extremely rare find indeed, I\'ve only got one, andonce it\'s gone .... it\'s gone.You might never findanother one, andif there\'s one thing I\'ve learned about antiques, when items are of quality andextremelyrare he who hesitates usually loses out.This very rare miniature salt cellar,wouldadd value to any Art pottery or Martin brothers collection. A real must for anyseriouscollector.

These very rare miniature Martin brothers salt cellars,have become sovery sought-after/collectable, and areappreciating invalue,basically because most peoplerealise that more skillandworkmanship is required in creating these delightful miniature pieces !!

This would make an ideal gift, or solid future investment.

The salt cellar willbe sent out recorded, specialdelivery with insurance.

Please note all my international postal charges are onlyestimates andwill be confirmed and altered upor down when Iknowthe destination to where, items arebeing sent. Please also noteI only charge actual costs of postage and packaging with insurance, no more.

Please feel free to look at my other items.