My daydreams and my nightly visions teem with Gothic...through loopholes which barely disturbed the gloom within, I have seen strings of sleeping bats and in darksome chambers found quaint carvings never intended to see the light.
Robert Wallace Martin
Ralph (1920 - 2008) and Terry (b. 1928) Kovels' influence on the world of collecting is incalculable and their accomplishments innumerable. The couple married in 1950 and wrote their first book together, now titled Kovels' Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain, 1650-1850, in 1953. In 1986, they released a new book, Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain, 1850 to the Present. As the definitive source for collectibles and values, the Kovels are renowned for their eye for antiques, art, and design.
When the Kovels began their collecting journey they were complete neophytes. Terry remarked in an interview: "In the beginning, we were always doing it together. He was a super salesman and I was a good researcher... So it was fun for me. We found subjects that no one else was doing." They learned by looking, researching, and collecting. The success of their first book led Ralph to pitch a column on antiques and collectibles to the Cleveland Press, "Know Your Antiques," which became the longest-running syndicated column in the country. Their secret, as Terry has said, was making it approachable: "We always include definitions on the things we don't know. We make it easy for people to understand what we are writing about." For perhaps the first time, at least in the United States, antiques and collecting were made accessible to the masses.
The Kovels were also incredibly diversified in their interests, collecting everything from banana stickers and textiles to furniture and American art pottery; as Ralph used to say when asked why he only collects: “If we own it, it’s priceless.” Over the decades that followed the publication of their first book their business developed into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. They wrote over 100 books, one of which, the Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, has sold over four million copies and is considered one of the bibles of the field. They have been consulted numerous times for their expertise in court cases and various newspapers; wrote the "Collectibles" entry for the Encyclopedia Britannica; appeared on talk shows and starred in three TV series, “Know Your Antiques” for PBS, “Flea Market Finds with the Kovels” for HGTV, and "Collector's Journal with Ralph and Terry Kovel" for the Discovery Channel; and won two Emmy Awards. Their eponymous website, Kovels.com, was created in 1998 and to this day remains a priceless resource for collectors worldwide where one can check over 1,000,000 prices.
Terry remarked recently: "Building a great collection takes a lot of time, extensive knowledge and some luck, too. I am thrilled to pass our legacy of great finds onto the next generation of passionate antiques collectors." It is with great pride that Rago and Toomey & Co. offer a selection of Ralph and Terry's impressive collection here.
We came from Nowheresville as far as the experts were concerned. Maybe that’s why we can write what we write, because we think like beginners and write in plain language.
Terry Kovel
The Martin Brothers, Robert Wallace, Walter, Charles, and Edwin Martin produced distinctive stoneware pottery in London from 1873 to 1923, and may be considered 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 evidenced both humor and tremendous skill in their medium. The company was founded by the eldest Martin brother, Robert Wallace, who acted as figurehead, while Walter was thrower, Edwin was principal decorator, and Charles ran the shop.
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 would move to the London suburb of Southhall, Middlesex. Unlike the Victorian trend of decoration, 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 are an example of 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.”
Martinware was certainly popular and collectible in its time—indeed in 1914 Queen Mary ordered 60 pieces to be exhibited at the Paris Exposition. Production of Martinware definitively ended in 1923 upon the death of Robert Wallace. In the 1970s, Martinware experienced a revival in popularity and today is held in the collections of major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Auction Results Martin Brothers Pottery
