Pottery vases by William Ricketts, Australian, 20th century

Born in Melbourne in 1899, William Ricketts was a self-taught sculptor and conservationist, who commenced modelling in clay in about 1920. Well known for his terracotta sculptures and vessels depicting heads and figures of Aboriginal subjects, he owned a property at Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges, now known as the William Rickett Sanctuary, and open to the public. This property is famous for its bush garden heavily decorated with his terracotta sculptures. Ricketts' works are represented in several state and provincial collections. He died in 1993.