Flower bowl

This Wemyss ware flower bowl was made between around 1883 and 1919 at Robert Heron & Sons' pottery at Kirkcaldy in Fife. It was hand painted by James Sharp. The shape of this bowl, with its flat sides tapering to a flat base, is known as as 'Fife' flower bowl, although its size is larger than the largest size produced in Heron's catalogue at that time. A 'Fife' flower bowl could also be a dog or cat bowl with the addition of appropriate motifs or lettering.

The exterior of the bowl is decorated with pink cabbage roses with green leaves. This was one of the most popular Wemyss decorations.

In the 19th century, Scottish potteries grew in number to meet the increased demand. The largest firms were near the Forth and Clyde rivers and Kirkcaldy became a major centre for potteries. Robert Heron & Co. were famous for their brightly painted, highly fashionable and expensive Wemyss Ware. The characteristic freely-painted decoration was introduced by Karel Nekola, a Czech who arrived in Kirkcaldy in 1883. Wemyss Ware continued to be produced in Kirkcaldy, by a variety of decorators, until the factory closed in 1930.

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