Introduction
Wembley Ware is one of the most recognisable names in mid-century Australian ceramics. Produced in Subiaco, Western Australia, between 1946 and 1961, the range became known for its vivid lustre glazes, sculptural forms, Australian subjects and imaginative combination of decoration and practical use.
The Wembley Ware range included vases, bowls, ashtrays, figurines, bookends, serving pieces, shaving mugs, card holders and novelty household wares. Some designs were colourful and playful, while others were ambitious sculptural pieces made primarily for display.
Today, Wembley Ware is collected as Australian pottery, mid-century design and social history.
The beginnings of the factory
The history behind Wembley Ware began in 1921 with the establishment of the Calyx Porcelain and Paint Company in Subiaco, Western Australia.
The factory initially produced practical household ceramics, including dinnerware, breakfast ware, tea ware, kitchen ware and toilet ware. Ownership and company structures changed over the following decades, and in 1938 the business became associated with H. L. Brisbane and Wunderlich Ltd.
During the years following the Second World War, the factory was modernised and expanded. A new decorative fancy ware range was developed for Australian households enjoying renewed prosperity and growing interest in colourful home furnishings.
This range became known as Wembley Ware.
The Wembley Ware period
Wembley Ware was manufactured from 1946 until 1961. By the 1950s, it had become one of Australia’s largest commercially produced ranges of decorative ceramics.
The pottery was distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand. Its combination of strong colour, glossy finishes, novelty forms and recognisably Australian subjects made it particularly suited to the tastes of the post-war period.
Production ended in 1961 as Australian manufacturers faced increasing competition from imported ceramics.
Design and production
Wembley Ware pieces were commercially produced but often required substantial hand finishing and decoration.
Many designs were moulded into sculptural forms before being glazed, decorated and fired. Lustre glazes created metallic, pearlescent or opalescent effects that changed according to the light.
Common decorative treatments included:
Iridescent lustre glazes
Opalescent finishes
Hand-painted details
Gilt rims and highlights
Moulded flowers, leaves and animals
Bright Harlequin colour combinations
Naturalistic Australian subjects
The results could vary between production runs. Differences in glaze colour, lustre intensity and painted detail are therefore not automatically evidence of reproduction or damage.
People associated with Wembley Ware
George Clausen is credited with encouraging and developing many of the ideas behind the Wembley Ware range.
John Tribe, who lived from 1904 to 1974, was responsible for a number of the factory’s better-quality sculptural pieces.
Ceramic artist Ruby Neevay, who lived from 1925 to 2012, began working for Brisbane and Wunderlich as a teenager and became another artisan associated with the factory’s decorative production.
Because Wembley Ware was commercially produced, not every item can be attributed to an individual modeller or decorator. Attribution should be supported by reliable factory records or specialist research.
Popular Wembley Ware forms
The factory produced an unusually broad range of decorative and functional ceramics.
Vases
Wembley Ware vases range from relatively restrained forms to elaborate sculptural designs. Fish, flowers, foliage and Australian themes appear frequently. The large Dhufish designs are among the best-known examples.
Bowls and tableware
Bowls, serving pieces, dessert sets and sundae cups were produced in plain, lustred and multicoloured finishes.
Harlequin sets combined matching shapes with different coloured glazes. Complete sets with their original colour combinations are particularly attractive to collectors.
Ashtrays
Ashtrays formed a major part of Wembley Ware production. Designs included animals, birds, Australian maps, sporting figures and novelty subjects.
Although originally made as practical smoking accessories, many are now collected as examples of Australian social history and mid-century design.
Figurines and sculptures
Wembley Ware produced animals, birds, sporting figures and decorative sculptures. Subjects included kangaroos, koalas, swans, horses, fish and Australian footballers.
Bookends and desk accessories
Bookends, card holders and desk pieces allowed the factory to combine sculptural modelling with a stated practical purpose.
Novelty household wares
The range also included shaving mugs, kitchen wares, toothpick holders and other novelty objects. Their mixture of utility and decoration is an important feature of Wembley Ware production.
Bone china
A comparatively small quantity of bone china was produced. Genuine Wembley Ware bone china is less common and can be particularly desirable to specialist collectors.
Why practical use mattered
Many highly decorated Wembley Ware objects were given a practical function. A sculptural piece might also serve as an ashtray, vase, bookend or card holder.
This helped distinguish the wares as functional household products rather than purely decorative luxury objects. It also explains why some unusually sculptural designs contain small trays, openings or compartments whose purpose may not be immediately apparent today.
Australian imagery
Australian animals, birds, fish, sport and landscapes were recurring themes. These designs helped give Wembley Ware a distinctive national identity.
Some pieces also incorporated representations derived from Aboriginal people, imagery and cultural motifs. These objects reflect attitudes and commercial design practices of their period, but some representations are now recognised as stereotyped or culturally insensitive.
Collectors and sellers should describe such pieces accurately and respectfully without repeating offensive historical terminology unnecessarily.
Harlequin lustreware
Harlequin Wembley Ware usually refers to a matching group of pieces produced in several different colours.
Typical colours include blue, green, yellow, orange, burgundy and purple. The underlying ceramic forms remain consistent while the glaze colour changes from piece to piece.
Complete Harlequin sets are desirable because individual pieces were easily broken, separated or replaced over time. Collectors should check that all pieces share the same shape, dimensions, glaze treatment and appropriate factory marks.
Wembley Ware marks and backstamps
Wembley Ware pieces may carry printed backstamps, impressed markings, moulded numbers or combinations of these features.
A typical mark may include:
Wembley Ware
Australian Pottery
Bristile or associated factory wording
A printed emblem or factory device
Moulded or impressed pattern numbers
The precise appearance of the mark can vary according to the period and product.
Not every authentic piece is clearly marked. Printed marks can become faint through firing, use or cleaning. Identification should consider the mark together with the shape, glaze, moulding and comparison with documented examples.
A factory backstamp establishes the maker, but it does not necessarily identify the individual designer or provide an exact production year.
How to assess condition
Wembley Ware should be examined carefully because many designs have projecting elements, pedestal stems, thin rims and delicate applied decoration.
Check for:
Chips around rims and feet
Flea bites on raised edges
Hairline cracks
Repairs to projecting elements
Reglued handles, fins, ears or tails
Crazing in the glaze
Loss of gilt decoration
Scratches or dull areas in the lustre
Staining inside vases and bowls
Restoration or overpainting
Some glaze irregularities, firing marks and colour variations occurred during manufacture. These should be distinguished from later damage.
Original gilt surfaces may show modest wear from handling. Severe rubbing will generally affect value, particularly when gilt detail is an important feature of the design.
Cleaning Wembley Ware
Wembley Ware should be cleaned gently.
Use lukewarm water, a soft cloth and a small amount of mild detergent. Avoid abrasive cleaners, scouring pads and harsh chemicals.
Do not place lustreware in a dishwasher. Prolonged soaking should also be avoided, especially when a piece has crazing, hairline cracks, repairs or applied decoration.
Dry the piece carefully with a soft cloth rather than leaving water around foot rims, cavities or repaired areas.
What affects collector value?
The value of Wembley Ware depends on more than age.
Important factors include:
Rarity of the form
Desirability of the subject
Quality and colour of the glaze
Presence and clarity of the factory mark
Condition
Size
Completeness of sets
Surviving gilt decoration
Evidence of repair or restoration
Documented designer or modeller attribution
Bone china production
Provenance
A rare sculptural design can be valuable even with minor age-related wear. Conversely, a common form with extensive damage may have limited commercial value despite carrying a clear backstamp.
Complete matching or Harlequin sets generally have greater appeal than isolated pieces.
Reproductions and mistaken identification
Collectors should not rely on colour alone when identifying Wembley Ware. Other Australian factories used similar lustre finishes, novelty forms and Australian subjects during the mid-20th century.
Identification should consider:
Factory marks
Moulding quality
Known documented shapes
Dimensions
Glaze character
Construction and foot design
Comparison with reliable museum or collector references
Diana Pottery, Kalmar Pottery and other Australian manufacturers produced objects that may be confused with certain Wembley Ware designs. An attribution should remain cautious when a piece is unmarked and its shape has not been documented.
Wembley Ware today
Wembley Ware has become an important collecting field within Australian ceramics.
Its appeal crosses several areas, including Australian pottery, mid-century interiors, Australiana, novelty ceramics, social history and post-war design.
The combination of commercial manufacture and imaginative modelling makes Wembley Ware particularly interesting. It was made for ordinary Australian homes, yet many pieces now survive as distinctive examples of national design and manufacturing history.
TMC Emporium Wembley Ware collection
TMC Emporium’s Wembley Ware pieces are placed within the Australian Pottery & Ceramics collection.
The collection will gradually include decorative and functional Wembley Ware, with individual listings recording marks, measurements, condition, provenance and identification details.
The first featured example is a complete set of six circa-1950s Harlequin lustreware pedestal sundae bowls. The set demonstrates the factory’s use of matching sculptural forms, individual colours, iridescent glazes and gilt detailing.
See Our Vintage Wembley Ware Harlequin Lustre Sundae Bowls Set 6 Australian Pottery