Martinware Wally Bird II

Another Rare Martinware Bird Jar, Stolen from a British Museum in 2007, is Recovered

LONDON, 14 SEPTEMBER 2023:  Art Recovery International (“ARI”) is pleased to announce the recovery of another important piece of Martinware sculptural pottery that was stolen from Pitzhanger Manor house in London in 2007. The artwork was returned on Friday, 8 September 2023 to Dr. Jonathan David Oates, Archivist for the London Borough of Ealing which runs the Museum.

Early in the morning on 22 March 2007, thieves broke into the museum by removing a window, getting around the security system, and making off with 22 of the most valuable Martinware sculptures. At the time, the total value of the stolen artworks was over £250,000.

Martinware pottery is stoneware created by the Martin Brothers between the 1870s and the early 1900s. The best-known pieces are bird sculptures and 'grotesque' objects including jugs and vases. The collection was bequeathed to Ealing Council in the 1980s by John and Anne Hull Grundy and is an important part of the borough’s cultural heritage.

This is the fourth piece of Martinware pottery recovered by ARI over the last few years, some of which appeared for sale in the UK and on eBay.  This rare bird jar was consigned for sale through Kinghams Auctioneers in Moreton-in-Marsh in their July 2023 Fine and Decorative Arts Sale. ARI handled the complex negotiations pro-bono and obtained an unconditional release from Kinghams’ consignor.

“This recovery was very much a team effort”, said Christopher A. Marinello, lawyer and Founder of Art Recovery International. “We are extremely grateful for the expertise of British art pottery expert Nigel Wilson and to George Kingham, the Director of Kinghams.  Kinghams was at all times helpful and cooperative throughout the recovery process, something we don’t often find with provincial auction houses. We are also extremely grateful to the Zurich Insurance Group who were magnanimous in waiving the requirement for the original insurance settlement to be paid back as a gesture to the council and people of Ealing.”

Marinello adds “Our ability to recover stolen artworks decades after the theft depends largely on museums reporting thefts to the police as soon as possible despite the embarrassment over the loss. The other critical element is to disseminate a detailed list of the objects that were stolen so that they may be recorded on various art world databases. If anyone believes that they may be in possession of one of these stolen sculptures, please feel free to contact us on a confidential basis.”