Bird-Brained: Collectors Flock to the Martin Brothers Whimsical Wally Birds

From comical to cunning, the Martin Brothers’ eccentric “Wally Birds” continue to enchant collectors with their whimsical charm and masterful craftsmanship.

The Martin Brothers: Walter, Robert Wallace, and Edwin in their workshop in England.

The Martin Brothers—Robert Wallace, Walter, Charles and Edwin Martin—produced distinctive stoneware pottery in London from 1873 to 1923. Many consider the brothers as frontrunners of the 20th century studio pottery movement. They were especially known for their whimsical approach to subject matter including birds and sea creatures, with works that exhibited humor and tremendous skill. The company was founded by the eldest Martin brother, Robert Wallace, who acted as the figurehead. Walter was the thrower, Edwin was the principal decorator, and Charles ran the shop.

This Martin Brothers Pottery Wally Bird tobacco jar, was created by Robert Wallace Martin in 1887
in England. It stands 10 5/8 in. by 6 3/4 in., and sold for $26,670 Jan. 9, 2025, at Rago Auctions.

Robert Wallace founded the studio in London’s Fulham neighborhood after studying at the Lambeth School of Art (where brothers Walter and Edwin also attended) and the Royal Academy School. In 1877, the pottery moved to the London suburb of Southall, Middlesex. Unlike the Victorian decoration trend, the Martin Brothers approached their craft as an intellectual endeavor. They became especially well-known for their so-called “Wally Birds,” bird-form jars with expressive faces that were said to sometimes be modeled from political figures. The Wally Birds exemplify the brothers’ “grotesques,” detailed sculptural works that alternately depicted monsters, reptiles and unidentified creatures. As The Magazine of Art wrote, referencing Lewis Carroll’s poem The Hunting of the Snark: “We have a hundred young sculptors who will model you a Venus or an Adonis as soon as look at you; but who save Mr. Martin could give you a Boojum or a Snark in the round.”

This droll Wally Bird tobacco jar by Robert Wallace Martin from 1903 sold for $50,800 against an
estimated $20,000, Jan. 9, 2025, at Rago Auctions. The Wally Bird stands 10 1/2 in. tall by 5 3/8 in.

Martinware was popular and collectible in its time—in 1914, Queen Mary ordered 60 pieces to be exhibited at the Paris Exposition. Production of Martinware ended in 1923 with Robert Wallace’s death. In the 1970s, Martinware experienced a revival in popularity and is today held in the collections of major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A recent “American & European Art Pottery” event at Rago Auctions featured several pieces by the Martin Brothers, including the three showcased here.

The whimsical Wally Bird tobacco jar from 1891 (11 h. by 4 3/4 in.)
sold for $30,480 against a high estimate of $22,000.

You may also like:

R.W. Martin & Brothers Birds

Collectors flock to humorously anthropomorphic Martin Brothers Birds

Tobacco Jars, Surprising Prices