This experimental grotesque anthropomorphic crab is one of a very small number of large-scale sculptural works made by the Martin Brothers and is the only one known in the UK.
As well as being of artistic importance, it also reflects the social history of the Victorian era and our sculptural and decorative art history.
The larger-than-life crustacean has human-like features including grinning eyes, a curling moustache, cropped beard and a smile of uneven teeth. Along its claw is the bold signature: R. W. MARTIN 6.80 (Robert Wallace Martin, June 1880).
The Martin Brothers are considered the first art potters of Britain and of the four brothers, Robert Wallace was the most experimental and the driving force behind the studio’s famously grotesque designs. This crab is considered one of the first transitional works that bridged the applied and the fine arts, representing an important moment in both the Martin Brothers’ production and England’s sculptural and decorative art history.
The crab is made from salt-glazed stoneware, a complex firing method from the medieval era that the Martin Brothers helped revive. Salt glazing was typically used for hardy jugs and sewer pipes, but the Brothers repurposed it for art.
With our support, the crab was acquired by The Box, in Plymouth, a museum, gallery and archive that opened in 2020. It complements other items of Martinware and is part of a display of 350 examples from its decorative arts collection.