John Tribe

WEMBLEY WARE ARTIST         

John Tribe 1904 – 1974

 John Tribe was a gifted artist and was responsible for many of the better-quality Wembley Ware pieces.

John Tribe was born in England in 1904, and came to Australia in 1925.

Between stints working at the cattle-stations in the far north of Western Australia, he showed his talents in the fine arts. John Tribe married in 1939.

Ill health plagued him and in 1946 he was encouraged to continue with painting and modelling during an extended period in hospital.

John Tribe modelled most of the well-known and delightful pieces of Wembley Ware. These include the koala, kookaburra, owl, magpie and dhufish.

John Tribe held fourteen exhibitions of his paintings and sketches in Perth, twice winning the Claude Hotchin prize for Oils and Waterclour.

Some rare unsigned Wembley Ware display plates which were individually decorated with Australian scenes by John Tribe are known to exist.

(From ‘Calyx, Wembley Ware and Bristile China’ by John G Thomson)