Bretby Art Pottery

The Bretby Art Pottery was established in 1882 at Woodville in Derbyshire by Henry Tooth and William Ault.

The pottery produced a wide variety of decorative earthenware, including vases, bowls and jugs. Many of their wares were similar to those of the Linthorpe Pottery where Tooth previously had been manager. In 1887 the partnership dissolved when Ault left to form his own business. New lines were then introduced at Bretby including hand modelled figures, novelty wares and a variety of lustre and metallic glazes. Bretby was a commercial pottery which utilized modern methods shunned by the purist art potters who only produced thrown pots. However, the firm’s work was universally acknowledged as art pottery, well known for its glazes and relief moulded wares.

Tooth’s son succeeded him during the First World War and continued operations until 1933. Since then his successors have made moulded and slip-cast decorative wares.

Marks: "Bretby" beneath a rising sun printed or impressed. Many of the firm’s designs were registered, so moulded registration numbers may be found. Moulded shape numbers may also appear. In 1925 the firm was employing some 2,600 models, suggesting that the firm continually made use of old moulds for new decoration.

Suggested reading: Encyclopaedia of British Art Pottery, Victoria Bergsen, Barrie & Jenkins, 1991