Harmony Kingdom History

Harmony Kingdom began in the garden shed outside of Weaver's Cottage, Martin & Corinna's former home, is where the quirky little Harmony Kingdom boxes were born. Weaver's Cottage is nestled on one of the steeply sloping hillsides of Chalford, a village that dates back to 1842. The garden shed has a spectacular view of the surrounding Cotswold countryside. It is here where Martin first began to craft the Harmony Kingdom box figurines. The year was 1989, and Martin's sole objective was to make a modest income to support his young family.

Harmony Kingdom Production

Martin's Harmony Kingdom "assembly line" consisted of a tabletop that held a set number of pre-cast pieces that translated into a set amount of pound sterling once sold. The Harmony Kingdom manufacturing process was too ambitious at the time so a company in Somerset did the molding and casting, after, which Martin tinted and hand-painted each Harmony Kingdom piece. Martin's Harmony Kingdom creations were sold in flea markets and nearby shops. His older brother assisted in the sales of these early pieces – the netsuke reproductions, animal piles, and what are now referred to as Large Treasure Jests.

Harmony Kingdom Netsuke

With the Harmony Kingdom netsuke reproductions, a mould was made from the original ivory carving. Since these pieces were hundreds of years old, they were not copyrighted. Soon Martin began to make original Harmony Kingdom models, often from the designs of some of his friends. From this practice came what were called "piles," carved stacks of animals piled atop one another. Then the Harmony Kingdom Netsuke was hand finished from crushed marble.