A legendary collector of Wemyss Ware, George Bellamy's collection is one of the finest ever to come to market, with many rare and exceptionally painted examples, including the instantly recognisable modelled pig and cat figures, plates, mugs and trays decorated with animals, and magnificent baluster vases by Karel Nekola and James Sharp.
When the late George Bellamy first discovered Wemyss on the cover of Antiques and Art Weekly in November 1976 it sparked a lifelong pursuit of the Fife-made ceramics. His collection spans the production of Scottish Wemyss Ware, from its genesis in 1882 to the 1930 conclusion of production in Fife. Such is the quality and comprehensive nature of his collection, that the Antique Collector’s Club published Scottish Wemyss Ware 1882-1930: The George Bellamy Collection in 2019, as testament to his efforts.
The plants and animals which adorn Wemyss Ware were a natural choice for the countryside loving Bellamy. Since childhood he was fascinated by flora and fauna, joining his Latin master’s bird club at Prep school. This love endured throughout his life, and he stated his fondness for the ‘wild area of countryside with a large garden’ which was his Welsh home in later years. He had been searching for something to collect and Scottish Wemyss Ware perfectly piqued his interest.
Bellamy writes about Wemyss with infectious enthusiasm and the enjoyment he reaped from it was threefold. Firstly, he relished the opportunity Wemyss Ware presented to develop specialist expertise. Bellamy focused his efforts on the Scottish period of production (1882-1930), accumulating intimate knowledge of the Kirkcaldy items compared to the output from Bovey Tracey in Devon. He studied the painted decoration, training his eye to discern the work of one painter from another, often purely from their execution of the Wemyss mark.
Further, the community of dealers and experts brought Bellamy much joy and assisted in the expansion of his Wemyss armoury, both intellectually and materially. He enjoyed visits from erstwhile dealers David Holmes and Barry Smith once or twice a year with a box of choice wares and wrote at animated length about his visit to the home of Wemyss collector extraordinaire Iris Fox. He was swiftly welcomed into the body of dealers and enthusiasts, being invited to exhibit at and attend the 1987 exhibition of Wemyss Ware, organised by Victoria de Rin and opened by the then Prince of Wales.
The final, and arguably most important element of collecting which appealed to Bellamy was the thrill of the chase. His knowledge enabled him to uncover bargains, once paying only £50 for a misattributed Earlshall mug worth over £1000. This arsenal, combined with his contacts on the Wemyss grapevine, gossiping about upcoming or, most tantalisingly, missed opportunities drove his search. His efforts have resulted in a collection of the highest quality, with pieces largely in excellent condition; an impressive feat given the intrinsically fragile nature of Wemyss Ware.
Even in 2019, forty-three years after his first acquisition and despite his patient tenacity, rarer items still evaded him. He never secured a green fig preserve box or hazelnut mug, but this sale gives new and existing collectors the chance to share in the delight Scottish Wemyss Ware brought to Bellamy.
