The Martin Brothers Potters of England
A rare Canadian collection hits the auction block
An exclusive pottery and stoneware auction of works by the Martin Brothers will take place February 11 at Miller & Miller.
When Miller & Miller representatives drove across the hills and valleys of British Columbia this past fall, they were delighted to discover an impressive collection of Martin Brothers pottery. The collection belonged to longtime collectors Peter and Francis Beulah. Now all 17 pieces from the collection will be sold in an exclusive Miller & Miller Sale on February 11, 2026.
“Peter and Francis are from a generation of ‘old world’ collectors diminishing by the day” notes Ethan Miller, who met the couple three years ago through a mutual friend. “They had the means to collect the best, and it was never about the money”.
When Wallace Martin was a young man finding his way in 1860s England, he quickly fell in with a community of designers, artists and architects. He learned to draw and worked as a moulder and a sculptor. When Wallace decided to open a pottery, he recruited his younger brothers Walter and Edwin who had both only recently begun working for the Doulton Pottery’s new art department. In July 1873, the three brothers fired their first wares in a kiln leased from C.J.C. Bailey’s Fulham Pottery. After some early success, Wallace leased a property at Southall where the brothers built their own studio and kiln. A fourth brother Charles joined the firm and opened a store in London selling the family’s Martinwares. They would run a pottery continuously from 1873 until 1914 producing an incredible range of unique art or studio pottery.
All pieces shown above will be offered as part of the February 11th sale.
The Martins’ wares were inspired by Gothic and Renaissance revival movements, their pieces profusely decorated with geometric patterns carved, etched, applied, stamped and pierced. Working exclusively in stoneware, the brothers stretched the limits of colour with strikingly vivid glazes. The Martins embraced Japanese inspired flora and fauna designs, and later Art Nouveau. In the 1880s, these styles combined in interesting and innovative ways as the Martins began producing pieces in the form of grotesque animals. They made spoon warmers shaped like bloated fish and serpentine toast racks.
The Martin Brother pieces are profusely decorated with geometric patterns carved, etched, applied, stamped and pierced.
The Martins are best known for making lidded tobacco jars shaped like birds. These “Wally-birds” after Wallace’s design are anthropomorphic sculptures, caricatures sometimes of specific contemporary figures but most often archetypes like The Admiral and the Barrister. These eccentric jars were always popular with collectors but in recent years have begun fetching serious prices. A new record auction price of US$196,000 was set in 2015 (Phillips, New York) for a 14” high "Wally Bird" jar dated 1889.
The “Wally Bird” pictured above headlines the sale. It is estimated to sell between CA$20,000-30,000.
A very special Wally Bird is featured in the sale, but Miller recalls how it was nearly excluded. “Peter insisted it be the one piece they keep so despite my urging to include it, we left without it”. However, a prolonged lunch shortly after turned out to be a blessing. 30 minutes out of town Miller received a phone call from Peter, which prompted the world’s longest u-turn. It is estimated to sell between CA$20,000-$30,000.
By Scott Wallace
Scott Wallace is the consignment director for Pottery & Stoneware at Miller & Miller Auctions.
SALE INFORMATION:
Pottery & Stoneware | Martin Brothers Exclusive
February 11, 2026. 12pm EST
A Miller & Miller Online-Only Auction
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