Wemyss pottery collection
Two men laid the foundation for Wemyss’s success: Robert Methven Heron (1833-1906) and Karel Nekola (1857-1915). Heron came from a long line of potters in Kirkcaldy, Fife, made frequent trips to Paris, and was said to be “well known” in London society. Robert Heron secured the exclusive English sales of Wemyss pottery to the London Chinese retailer Thomas Goode and it was also Heron who took the rather unusual step of inviting Bohemian artists to Fife in 1880 to decorate the pottery.
The Bohemians, not speaking the language, took no life in Fife and soon returned to their homeland, except for Karel Nekola, who spoke a little English and fell in love with Robert Heron’s cook and stayed.
Nekola’s role in the development of Wemyss was crucial. He was a great lover of nature and his passion for the outdoors influenced his work, appreciated for his vitality: his roses are second to none. Nekola trained other local people, keeping the Wemyss tradition alive after his death in 1915.
Karel Nekola was followed by Edwin Sandland, a talented artist from the Staffordshire potteries. Sandland had left the potteries in 1915 to join the Army Pay Corps. Disabled in 1916, he found his way to Fife pottery, working there until his death in 1928. Sandland continued the tradition of painting, but also introduced other styles, such as rare black earthenware which can cost more than £ 2,000 today. .
After Sandland’s death, it was decorated by Joe Nekola, Karel’s son. He had left the business many years before to become a carriage painter, but went back to work in the pottery. This period was largely the end of Wemyss’s Fifeshire operation. Although Victorians and Edwardians loved Wemyss, he has fallen out of favor with modern buyers and the pottery closed in 1930.
Frustrated by the closure of the pottery so soon after his return to business, Joe Nekola painted a sample plate and sent it to various potteries, hoping to find a new home for Wemyss. Bovey Tracey pottery in Devon bought the molds and trademark and offered Joe a job, ensuring that Wemyss continued to be made until 1957. Joe died in 1952, but Wemyss was still decorated by his apprentice, Esther Weeks. Esther passed on the secrets of the techniques to the Griselda Hill Pottery, who began making their modern Wemyss pottery in 1985.
Fife Wemyss pottery is much more valuable than its later Devon-made pieces. It is relatively easy to say which is which; Fife Wemyss has a body that is almost creamy compared to the bright white products produced at Bovey Tracey. The Scottish pieces also featured a soft glaze, which is prone to chipping or cracking and cracking, which collectors expect to see. The slip casting process was used on Bovey Tracey, but the Devon glaze is more ‘glassy’ and the products weigh less than their Scottish equivalents. During the Bovey Tracey period, much of Wemyss was sold through Jan Plichta, a London-based retailer. Anything marked Plichta is from after the 1930s.
Despite the sky-high prices for the rarest pieces, Wemyss remains affordable. Smaller items such as plates, jam jars, cups and saucers are typically priced between £100 and £150. You’ll pay less for pieces that have been restored or less popular designs, like apples. You will pay more for the popular ‘Cabbage Rose’ design. A later example from the Plichta period would be well under £100, but prices are rising.
A large vase in good condition, such as a Grosvenor vase with frills around the edges, will not be worth much less than £1000. Dog roses (as opposed to cabbage) always add value, and generally the rarer the flower, the higher the price. Keep an eye out for gorse and white heather, they are extremely rare.