Bretby Art Pottery (formally Tooth and Co. Ltd) was founded in 1882 by Henry Tooth and William Ault at Woodville, Derbyshire, with production starting in October 1883. Tooth had previously managed Linthorpe Art Pottery under Christopher Dresser, and brought that experience into the new works. Bretby registered its distinctive rising sun “Sunburst” trademark in 1884 and quickly gained recognition, winning a gold medal at the 1884 Crystal Palace exhibition.
The partnership with Ault ended in 1887, after which Tooth continued the pottery under the Bretby name and later as Tooth and Co., producing decorative art pottery, novelty wares and more utilitarian lines into the later twentieth century. Bretby became known for adventurous shapes, experimental glazes and trade names such as Wescontree Ware and Candy Ware, and its work is now represented in museum collections including Sharpe’s Pottery Museum and Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
