Wemyss (pronounced Weems) Ware®, probably the most attractive and sought-after Scottish pottery, was first produced in Kirkcaldy, Fife in 1882 by the Fife Pottery. It was the brainchild of Robert Heron, the pottery owner, and Karel Nekola, a gifted decorator whom he had brought over from Bohemia. Karel Nekola had trained in hand decoration on the Continent and brought with him a wealth of knowledge and design skills.
The name Wemyss® was given to the new style of pottery in honour of the Wemyss family of the nearby Wemyss castle, who were early and enthusiastic patrons of the ware. The most outstanding feature of the ware is the free-flowing and naturalistic hand painting. The pottery was immediately successful and found its way into such diverse places as local cottages and stately homes all over Scotland and beyond.
Wemyss Ware® was popular for four decades, spanning the turn of the twentieth century, but in the twenties it became less fashionable as other styles emerged. In 1932 the Kirkcaldy Pottery closed, and Joseph Nekola, Karel's son, moved down to the Bovey Pottery in Devon where he carried on producing Wemyss Ware® on a small scale. He taught his apprentice Esther Weeks (pictured below with Griselda) the secret techniques of painting Wemyss Ware®. After his death in 1952 Esther became Head Decorator until the Bovey Pottery closed in 1957. No Wemyss Ware® was produced throughout the 1970's or 80's.
In 1985 Griselda Hill started producing Wemyss Ware® back in it's spiritual home in Fife at the beautiful village of Ceres. The first product was a cat modelled on an example in Kirkcaldy Museum and over the years since then the Pottery has developed a range of Wemyss Ware® which can easily stand alongside the originals.
As with the original Wemyss Ware®, the success of the Griselda Hill Pottery is based on the quality of the hand painting and the beauty of the designs and colours. While some new technology has been adopted in order to minimise production problems and environmental pollution, hand painting techniques remain the same as ever. Being hand painted, every item is unique.
Since 1993 Esther Weeks has visited the Pottery regularly, and has passed on her wonderful skills to Griselda and the painters. Our provenance can therefore be established to the very origin of Wemyss Ware® from this direct link between the Ceres pottery and Karel Nekola, the first designer of the ware, through Esther Weeks, the last Head Painter at the Bovey Tracey pottery.
In 1994 Griselda Hill acquired the Trade Mark which means Wemyss Ware® has truly returned to its Scottish birthplace.
