The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Rare pig among large collection of Wemyss Ware up for sale
Hand-decorated piece has been estimated at £4,000-£6,000
A large and rare pottery pig in a top hat and monocle could fetch £6,000 at auction in Edinburgh tomorrow.
The hand-decorated Wemyss Ware pig was made in Kirkcaldy in 1900.
The brand, first produced in the town in 1882, is now highly sought after, with collectors including Sir Elton John and the Queen, while the late Queen Mother was said to have amassed one of the finest collections.
The 46cm-long pig, estimated at £4,000-£6,000, is the highlight of a vast collection of Wemyss Ware being sold at Lyon & Turnbull’s auction of Scottish silver and applied arts tomorrow.
The collection, comprising 117 lots, could fetch a total of £65,000. Included are an early 20th Century sleeping pig decorated with thistles that could make £2,500-£3,000, and a large black and white pig from around 1900 valued at £1,000-£1,500.
Other lots that could attract bids from dedicated collectors around the world include vases, cups, plates and baskets, many with decorations inspired by the flora and fauna of Fife and dating to the late 19th Century.
John Mackie, Lyon & Turnbull’s Decorative Arts specialist, said: “We have seen items like the unusually decorated cats and sleeping piglets selling well at Lyon & Turnbull.
“Wemyss is very popular at the moment and it is well represented in our sale, with Wemyss honey pots, dishes, bowls and plates.
“However, it is the rarities such as this pig in our sale that really catch people’s imagination.
“Even though it is a Scottish pottery it does have an international market, with serious collectors in North America and Australia.”
Wemyss Ware was the brainchild of Robert Methven Heron, who produced pieces in his factory in Gallatown, Kirkcaldy, between 1882 and 1930.
Heron, who named the brand after his patrons, the wealthy Wemyss family of nearby Wemyss Castle, admired hand decoration and recruited highly trained European painters for his family business.
Wemyss Ware attracts a large fan base.
In 2004, a rare Wemyss cat figure sold for £20,000 at Lyon & Turnbull’s sale of the Drambuie Collection.