Very lovely Martin Brothers sgraffito decorated stoneware vase by Edwin Martin dated March 1886. Ovoid body with collar neck and rim. Saltglaze "orange peel" texture characteristic of Martin Brothers pottery. Sraffito decorated with irises. Gorgeous tonal variations from russets to creams around the body. Marked to base "3-1886 Martin Bros London & Southall". The vase is 22.5 cm in height.
 
The four Martin brothers (Robert Wallace, Walter, Edwin and Charles) were pioneers in the production of studio pottery. They became known for their eccentric, grotesquely modelled "Wally Birds" and sculpted face jugs, as well as their expertly decorated vases and other items – some beautiful and others rather eccentric. They produced a distinctive type of stoneware - specialising in salt-glazed stoneware with a distinctive "orange-peel" appearance. Started in Fulham, London in 1873 by Robert Wallace Martin, the business moved to Havelock Road, Southall in 1877. The business closed in 1915 following the deaths of Charles (1910), Walter (1912) and Edwin (1915), with limited output continuing until Robert’s death in 1923. Their style defies classification – perhaps inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement and perhaps by Aestheticism. Some regard them as being the first pioneers of Studio Pottery.