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Spode and a Pair of Parian Statuettes

February 14, 2014, 3:54 am
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Love
This Parian figure from the Spode factory, under the ownership of the Copeland family was first produced in about 1882.

A huge range of figures was produced by the company. There is strong evidence that the body was invented at the factory under the ownership of Copeland & Garrett. Initially it was known as porcelain statuary and/or statuary porcelain. It later became widely known as Parian ware. This beautiful new body was described, in about 1845, by sculptor John Gibson RA (1790-1866) as 'Decidedly the best material next to Marble'. He gave permission for his famous full-size marble sculpture Narcissus to be produced by the company in this new Parian body in 1845. What a coup...

At Spode individual figures were known a statuettes. Often there was a pair to a figure which was called a companion - particularly appropriate for a figure called Love.

Robert Copeland researched the Parian ware production from the Spode factory in great detail over many, many years and I learnt so much from him and enjoyed assisting him in his quest for knowledge in the subject. Often his research led him to the story of sculptor, the relevant Greek myth, novel or real life biography to a statuette, a group or a bust. But in this case it seems he found no detail other than a date of introduction and some prices. I have found nothing further.

You can find out all about the Parian figures of all types in his book Parian: Copeland's Statuary Porcelain. Click on the book title and it will take you to my booklist for full details.

For Valentines' Day I thought it was appropriate to show Love and Companion to Love together here.

Unlike many of the Parian figures they are not classical in design but it is not hard to imagine this sentimental pair on a Victorian mantelpiece.

I don't know why but it makes me smile to see that Love is 15 shillings in 1884. What a bargain! By 1895 I am afraid Love had risen in price to 18 shillings.

Robert Copeland (1925-2010) in the factory museum
with his beloved Parian figures, 1985
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Spode and Variations on Indian Sporting Pattern

March 10, 2014, 8:08 am
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Visiting Aberystwyth University Ceramic Collection & Archive is a must for anyone who loves ceramics. Looking at their exhibition last week one of the pots immediately caught my eye. It was a large earthenware dish by Philip Eglin entitled 'The Bear Hunt' which he made for the British Ceramics Biennial 2011. This biennial event has been held at the former Spode factory in Stoke. Eglin's dish is described as being 'based on a 19th century Spode factory design'.

Spode's design is called Indian Sporting which was introduced in about 1815. It is a multi-scene pattern with a different image for each of the different shapes within a service. Transfer printed, it required many different hand-engraved copper plates to produce a whole set of tableware. This may well may have been a challenge for Spode's engravers who had probably never seen some of these exotic animals 'in the flesh'. The piece used by Eglin was the 10 inch plate printed with a scene called, by Spode, 'Death of the Bear'.
Left: Eglin 2011; Top Right: Spode plate 'Death of the Bear' c1815 (detail);
Bottom Right: Source print c1807
The inspiration for Eglin's 2011 piece obviously comes from the Spode design but in turn the Spode design was not their own original and the scenes were taken from a publication called 'Oriental Field Sports, Wild Sports of the East' written by Captain Thomas Williamson and illustrated by Samuel Howitt. Probably published around 1807/1809 in 2 volumes it had originally been produced in 20 parts between about 1805 and 1807.

This seems a popular design for modern artists to use as inspiration. The same Spode early 19th century plate was used by Phoebe Cummings in the British Ceramics Biennial 2013 who created an installation adjacent to an example of the Spode piece.
After the Death of the Bear, 2013. Clay, cement, steel, wire, and polythene, 7 x 5 x 3.5 meters.
View of work at the British Ceramics Biennial, Stoke-on-Trent, 2013
For their transfer printed Indian Sporting pattern Spode used adaptations from 17 of the original prints from 'Oriental Field Sports, Wild Sports of the East' plus sections of others to create the wonderful border pattern. The name of the scene is often printed on the back of the pieces. However, the Spode description is not always identical to that used in the original publication. Notice also, on the image of the sauce tureen below, the handle and knob sheet pattern which is used with this design which is the same as for Italian pattern.

It may seem odd to us today to see images of dead and dying animals on our dinnerware but it seems to have been quite acceptable, not only in 1815, but throughout the 19th century as well as into the 20th. Spode produced several patterns featuring hunting scenes. There were also patterns which featured dead/dying birds (these in some of the most expensive combinations of ceramic body, colour and decoration) and cock fighting. Many of these designs would just not be acceptable nor desirable today.
A backstamp from Spode's Indian Sporting pattern c1815
Many of the centres used on Indian Sporting pattern can be seen on Spode Exhibition Online.

Indian Sporting pattern was reintroduced in the late 1990s by Spode as part of 'The Blue Room Collection'.
Spode sauce tureen and stand featuring 'The Dead Hog'.

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Happy Birthday Mr Spode I

March 23, 2014, 1:09 am
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Founder of the Spode company, Josiah Spode I, was born on March 23rd 1733. He is sometime referred to as Spode I. 

A son and a grandson also had the same name, so are referred to as Josiah Spode II (or Spode II) and Josiah Spode III (or Spode III). There was also a Josiah Spode IV but he was not directly involved with the company.

Spode I was born in Lower Lane near Stoke in North Staffordshire, England.


Josiah Spode I was an important figure in the history of the North Staffordshire pottery industry and, together with his sons Josiah Spode II and Samuel, a generous benefactor to local good causes.

You can find out more about the owners of the Spode company on my page Who Owned Spode?




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Spode and Spring Flowers and Plant Pots

April 5, 2014, 12:18 pm
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 Bulb Pot,
Tower pattern, c1820
As a plant lover I am very fond of Spode pots made to hold plants as well as wares of all types decorated with botanical subjects, especially those made in the early 1800s.

Wares made specifically to hold certain types of plants include Garden Pots and Stands and Bowpots (sic). These are recorded in Spode's 1820 Shape Book (click here then search on Garden pots); large lily pans and oblong plant troughs are found from a later date in catalogues from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Dessert services were decorated with botanical subjects from Curtis's Botanical Magazine in the early 1800s and, when orchids were just coming into the UK as new, exotic, rare and highly expensive plants, specialist orchid holders as well as pots decorated with orchids were produced in the mid-19th century.

At this time of year with spring flowers emerging it is nice to be reminded that there is actually little new to be found in plant pots. Even a specialist bulb pot was made by Spode in the early 1800s. Illustrated here is one made in about 1820 transfer printed in Tower pattern. The shape is identical to those still available in ceramic and glass.
New Shape Garden Pot & Stand (3 sizes) 1820 Shape Book 
Flower pots made at the Spode factory can be seen in a catalogue page of blue printed wares from the late 1800s/early 1900s. Lily pans (not jardinières) for water lilies, one with a Chinese style stand, can be seen as well as large plant troughs of the sort which probably graced conservatories of grand houses.
Catalogue page 'Flower Pots, Garden Seats Etc.' c1900
Dessert plate, Spring Crocus on Thyme sheet, c1815
Here are a few links to more on this blog about Spode and connections with spring, botanical subjects and garden pots:

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Happy Birthday Josiah Spode II

May 7, 2014, 11:35 pm
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Naive portrait Spode II 
on a Spode ceramic plaque
Josiah Spode II was born on May 8th 1755.  He was a master potter, hugely successful businessman, entrepreneur, inventor and innovator... and pretty good at marketing too.

In 1806 he welcomed the Prince of Wales to his factory for a tour around the works. After the visit he was awarded his first Royal Warrant and was styled 'Potter and English Porcelain Manufacturer to HRH the Prince of Wales'.When the Prince of Wales acceded to the throne in 1820, Spode was again awarded the Royal Warrant, becoming potter to HM King George IV. Several styles of stationery were used by the firm - including this accolade - for the London business often known as Spode & Copeland.
Letterhead used by the company for their London business
A portrait of Spode II, looking very fine in his hunting costume, can be see by clicking here. This is the source for the naive painting of him on a Spode ceramic plaque.

The oil painting is on the wonderful Your Paintings website and is from the collection of the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. They also have another portrait of him which you can see by clicking here (ignore the date of his birth!).

After learning the trade of a master potter under his father, Spode II left Stoke for London in 1787. Here he set up home with his young family and, importantly, began the Spode business in the capital city. Spode II returned to Stoke at the death of his father in 1797 to run the factory. He grew the business further and built himself a mansion nearby. It is his legacy that leads to the company being described thus 'The Spode factory was without doubt the most important factory in the 19th century'.
The Mount - Spode II's new mansion completed 1804
His home, The Mount, still survives not far from the Spode factory in Stoke. It looks particularly splendid on a vase (made by his own company, of course) thought to date from about 1825. The vase is in the V & A collections.


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Spode and Margrave - the old and the new

May 23, 2014, 3:54 am
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Margrave brings traditional and modern design and techniques together. This pattern was produced on Spode's Royal College shape, which itself has become something of a 20th century design classic, although it was not particularly commercially successfully worldwide. If you go to my Spode ABC you will find more about Royal College shape on the P-R page.

Margrave has pattern number Y7983, introduced in 1959 and designed by Michael Kitt, a student at the Royal College of Art.

Coffee can, Margrave pattern on Royal College shape, 1960-1970
I haven't seen this pattern very much but a few years ago I snapped up a bargain of 5 coffee cans for a few pence. There were no saucers and you may well ask who wants 5 coffee cans with no saucers? Well I did... they are such an elegant pattern and shape. I found them perfect to hold and serve syllabubs as a dessert, using an 18th century recipe, so again mixing old and new!

I now have 4 as one has gone off to live at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent.

The design is interesting as here is a modern, new shape from Spode in 1959 yet the surface pattern is based on something much more traditional. The deep gilded border is in classical style and reminiscent of the border patterns recorded in the Spode pattern books of the early 1800s. This classical gilding can be seen in a design of spectacular gilding, done in two different ways, on an oil lamp of about 1815. It is from the V & A collections where it is oddly described as a vase! The lamps are usually seen as a pair.

Oil lamp with classical gilding c1815
Margrave is a pattern on Spode's bone china, beautifully white and translucent. Although well into the 20th century it uses the traditional technique of groundlaying for the application of the green. (Find more about groundlaying on my Spode ABC). The gold band of classical design is applied by transfer, rather than by hand as in the antique oil lamp, but the rest of the gilded detail is by hand.

Translucency
Spode's bone china in the 20th century is still very fine and the translucency can be seen in the image (ignore the blurred woodland in rear of the photo!). Through the top of the cup you can see the gold band, the green band and even a hint of the backstamp.

The backstamp in this style is dated to between 1960 and 1970 denoting that the piece was fired in the new Gibbons open-flame, gas-fired tunnel kiln of advanced design. The kiln was named Jubilee to mark 50 years of the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent. 1960 saw the old coal-fired bottle ovens fired for the last time at Spode as the company embraced both the new technology and the desire to rid the industry of polluting smoke from the ovens.

Printed backstamp, 1960-1970; handpainted pattern number in red
I am not sure if my image of my cup does justice to its elegant profile so here is a coffee pot in Royal College shape in plain white, known as Apollo, from the V & A collections. I have also added a page of items available in Royal College shape from a 1959 china catalogue. 


Catalogue page 1959
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Spode and Football

June 13, 2014, 2:20 am
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It's World Cup 2014 and time to link Spode and football together!


My favourite football item from the Spode factory is a large architectural slab depicting a scene from a football match. It was made in the 1870s by Spode under the ownership of the Copeland family. There seem to be a lot of clenched fists and little attention to the ball but I do like the outfits. This is just one of a set of large slabs depicting sporting scenes which would have been set into the walls of a room of a grand house. It is handpainted in blue by R. J. Abraham who was one of Spode's premier artists. The monogram of WTC can be seen to the lower left indicating W. T. Copeland and the artist's monogram to the right.

Manufacturing large slabs in this size (about 2' X 2'6") and firing them flat, with no warping and cracking, shows how technically accomplished the Spode factory was. They were fired in the bottle ovens at this period.

A few other football-themed wares were made by the company over the years including a large three-handled mug which was commissioned for the Coronation of HM King George VI in 1937 by the President of Stoke City Football Club. (The club is often referred to as 'The Potters').

This large mug was commissioned to present to other members of the First Division of the Football League. It was decorated with heavily gilded handles in the form of a Stafford knot and depicted a scene of a football match, the Stoke City players wearing their famous red and white shirts. Only 30 were made. I believe there is one in the Stoke City Football Club collection and, in view of its purpose, perhaps surviving in other club's collections too.


Postcard of Spode's last bottle oven, now gone. Many such ovens were on the Spode factory site.
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Anyone for Tennis?

June 24, 2014, 1:47 am
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One of the most famous tennis tournaments started this week - Wimbledon 2014.

Spode made beautiful and specialist wares for use at tennis parties which were all the rage for the well-to-do in the late 1800s.

If you think you know what a 'tennis set' is, think again...

Here is a beautifully painted and gilded bone china tennis set from the 1870s. It is the best quality bone china from Spode, under the Copeland ownership. It is hand painted to resemble a leaf, gilded, and the gilding on the saucer is chased. This is a very high quality and technically brilliant object made by the Spode factory at this time. The design is made specifically for tea and dainty sandwiches!

Tennis set from the Met Museum c1871
Many patterns are recorded for tennis sets in the Spode archive in the pattern books. They are mostly in the D Books at the height of the fashion in the 1870s. Often a pattern number, prefixed with D, will appear painted on the base of the pieces.

You can find out more about Spode and Tennis by clicking here.

And click here for another image of a tennis set.
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Spode and Golf 2014

July 12, 2014, 5:33 am
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It's that time of year and a lot of golfing is going on. Major championships are taking, or about to take place, for both men and women.

There are surprisingly long associations between Spode products and golf, so this is a reminder of these Spode connections to this royal and ancient sport.
Beaker, sprigged stoneware, c1899
Enjoy the image of a beaker, also known as a drinking horn, made by Spode under the Copeland ownership. And to find more about Spode & Golf click here for my dedicated golf page where you can see the oldest known Spode piece specifically connected to the sport and specially commissioned as a prize in the Regency period. Here is a glimpse:


... and also click here for more images of pots connected with golf.

You can find something of the surprisingly long history of golf by clicking here for the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews founded in 1754.

Carriage clock, bone china, probably 1990s
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Spode and Coronation Celebrations July 1821

July 20, 2014, 12:48 pm
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On 19th July 1821 there were celebrations for the Spode workers on the occasion of the coronation of HM King George IV. I love the fact that there is a written record of these festivities for this important occasion - the details were noted by one of Spode II's managers.

In a small notebook, amongst detailed recipes for ceramic colours, glazes, stains and bodies are a few personal notes and memos including the record of the festivities organised for the large Spode and Daniel workforce. (Henry Daniel ran a specialist, high quality and technically brilliant decorating business, painting and gilding Spode's wares, to Spode designs. It operated on the Spode factory site.)

The Spode celebrations were held on the very day of the coronation and details are below. Note the difference in what the 'Men and Boys' got and what the 'Women and Girls' received for the party! But a day off, being fed and watered, must have been a rare thing in the pottery industry at this time and emphasises how important this occasion was. Some of the Spode workers may even have met one of their most important customers, now King, when he visited the factory as Prince of Wales in 1806.

"As under the Quantity of people Employ'd at Mr. Spodes and Daniels on the 19th July 1821, the Men and Boys had Dinner & Ale at the Talbot & King's Arms, and all the Women & Girls had Tea on the Manufactory, this was on the King's Coronation George the 4th.

277 Men        
115 Boys          Mr Spode's
 78 WomenTotal Number 488
 18 Girls          

73 Males          Mr Daniel's 192
119 Females

680 Total"

Spode II as 'Potter to HM King George IV' was one of the suppliers of table wares for the coronation banquet. The tableware pattern which was chosen was Frog pattern and you can find out more about it by going to the F page on my Spode ABC - click here. There are details of the quantities used - a note in the Spode archive suggests nearly 7,000 dinner plates alone... The large workforce of 680 must have been excited to get another royal order and participate in various ways in the manufacture of the pieces for the coronation banquet.

The manufacturing techniques and the type of decoration and gilding employed for this service in this pattern means the pieces were fired at least 5 times. Making pottery is not an exact science and something could have gone wrong at any stage.

Cover Dish (vegetable dish), Frog pattern 3248 c1821

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Happy Birthday Josiah Spode III

August 22, 2014, 1:03 am
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Josiah Spode III born on August 22nd 1777. He was the second son of Josiah Spode II and the last of the Spode family to be directly involved with the famous Spode pottery manufactory. It seems that although his father and siblings were in London running the Spode business he came back to Stoke at a young age to go to school and perhaps train with his grandfather Josiah Spode I - founder of the business. It is possible this tied in with early death of his mother in 1782 when he was just a little boy.

Obituary
Staffordshire Advertiser, 1829
In his mid-twenties tragedy struck again when Spode III was involved in what would be described today as an 'industrial accident' at the family factory in Stoke. The excitement of the planning, purchase and installation of a modern, brand new steam engine from Boulton & Watt, in 1802, must still have been fresh a year later when a 'lamentable accident' occurred resulting in the 'immediate amputation' of Spode III's arm.

Trained and accomplished in the art of potting and with experience in all parts of the business he opted to retire at quite a young age on his marriage in 1815. But on the death of father, Josiah Spode II, in 1827, he came out of retirement and ran the business. Sadly this was for just a couple of years until his own death.

He died in 1829 at his home, The Mount, not far from the Spode factory, at the age of 52.

If you are confused about all these Josiah Spodes click here.

The Spode family tombs, Stoke Minster, restored by the Spode company c2000
The Spode family tombs: detail of Spode II (left) and his son Spode III (right), Stoke Minster
A line drawing by Neville Malkin is shown here of The Mount built by Spode II in 1803/1804. The fine house also features on a Spode vase which is in the V & A collection.
The Mount, Penkhull
Vase featuring The Mount, V & A
As ever thanks to Peter Roden for his detailed, accurate Spode family research, without which I would be lost. More on my booklist.
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Spode and Incense Burners

October 5, 2014, 5:24 am
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In the early 1800s Spode produced a variety of different shaped incense burners. The function of an incense burner was to delicately perfume a room. Perhaps the room was stuffy or the smell of food needed to be dispersed after a grand meal or maybe, as people didn't wash themselves and clothes in the way we do today during this period, the delicate scent of burning incense was necessary.These were items for the well-to-do who could afford both incense and a special little burner in a beautiful and fashionable design.
Cottage incense burners. L: probably Spode, bone china. Mid & R: Spode Felspar porcelain, early 1800s
Spode's designs included charming little cottages in the style of cottage ornés - rustic buildings of picturesque design. The smoke from the incense seeped out of the chimney. All the little flowers and leaves were made separately from clay, by hand, then carefully applied before firing, glazing, firing and painting and then of course firing again. The Felspar porcelain backstamp illustrated is a lovely design and includes both the London and Stoke addresses. Note the flowers in the design. They represent the Union(what became known as the United Kingdom): thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Ireland, and rose for England.
A Spode's Felspar Porcelainbackstamp
Cottage incense burner, Spode, bone china early 1800s
The full size cottage ornés were usually associated with grand houses and their estates in the UK in the late 18th and early 19th century, embracing the fashion of the wealthy for bothPicturesqueand Pastoral styles.
Cottage orné, Langton by Partney, Lincolnshire
Incense burners are sometimes called 'pastille burners' but this is not a description found in the Spode archive papers where incense burner is definitely the phrase of choice. For information about the use of the word perfume and incense look on the P page on my Spode ABC. Round House Scent Pot is also used to describe an object sketched into a Spode shape book from 1817 which looks like the round cottage illustrated in the top picture.Other incense burners from Spode could be described as perhaps more elegant and were highly fashionable with many different shapes and patterns offered.They were also made in different ceramic bodies which included Spode's beautiful white bone china,'Felspar Porcelain', black basalt and red stoneware. These were 'top of the range' and expensive items from Spode aimed at the well-to-do and found in the grand houses. 

One of my favourite incense burners features a bit of early 19th century 'Egyptomania' and is made from Spode's high quality black basalt body. It is decorated with white sprigs of Egyptian hieroglyphics - or the North Staffordshire interpretation of them at the time. (For more information about sprigs go to my Sprigged Stoneware page). This basalt incense burner is thought to date from about 1805 and is recorded as a Pyramid Incense Burner. There is a record of it in the 1820 Shape Book which you can view in detail online by clicking here; then scroll down to 'Incense Burners and Phosphorous Pots'. You can go on to look at various records of these items produced in different shapes.
Pyramid Incense Burner, 1820 Shape Book
The conical (rather than pyramid) top is the part which is made by throwing and these are the measurements you can see in the Shape Book which records the technical details of manufacture. The illustration is drawn to be able to see through the top. To understand further I have included an image showing it in its 2 parts as well as assembled. The base has a little 'collar' (broken in the one featured) to hold the incense. The top, or 'chimney', is shaped like a flame and has a hole to allow the scented smoke to escape. The square base is pierced for the same reason. Spot the crossed crocodiles (or 'crocodial' as is usual in the Spode archive).
Pyramid Incense Burner, black basalt sprigged in white c1805 and in its 2 parts

A 'Beaded Upright Scollopd Incense Burner' is another favourite just for its name alone. The 1820 Shape Book shows it was to be 2 and a half inches tall. I have illustrated one from the V & A where it has been mistaken for a 'matchpot' in the collection records. Matchpots are a much simpler shape with no lid and these too can be found in the Shape Book on page 1.Showing there was quite a demand for these items many more shapes are found in the 1820 Shape Book including the following: Beaded Low Incense Burner, Antique Incense Burner, Dolphin Tripod, Beaded Incense Burner with Dolphin Handles (3 sizes), Bow Handled Incense Burner and a 3 Legged Imaged Handled Beaded Incense Burner.
Beaded Upright Scollopd Incense Burner, 1820 Shape Book
A 'Beaded Upright Scollopd Incense Burner' could be decorated in a variety of ways. One is illustrated here and looks really pretty with the stunning yellow background and delicate handpainted wild roses. Another can be seen in a different pattern from the V & A - just click here. Again it is described as a matchpot. It is decorated in pattern number 3967 from about 1824 and is a version of a design known as 'Tumbledown Dick'.
Beaded Upright Scollopd Incense Burner, bone china,pattern 3798 c1824

Wares in Spode's pattern 1166. Dolphin Tripod incense burner 2nd from right c1808
In a snapshot I took of the cases in the Spode Museum some years ago another version of the Dolphin Tripod incense burner can be seen in red stoneware sprigged in black.

It seems that whatever the fashion demanded - quaint and rustic, up to the minute Egyptomania or something more classical - Spode responded to its customers' demands and requirements with style, high quality and a little bit of panache!
Dolphin Tripod incense burner 2nd from right c1810
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Spode and Leaves

October 29, 2014, 3:28 am
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The autumn colours where I live are so beautiful this year. I wondered if there was a Spode connection to this season. Of course there is! I have already written a post Spode and Autumn which you can visit here. It relates specifically to a Spode pattern called Autumn.

But there are more leafy connections. The most relevant to the autumn season is probably the pattern Fallen Leaves. This was registered as a design with the British Patent office in 1919 and a version on earthenware has pattern number 2/7613 which was introduced in about 1922. Look closely and you will also see butterflies amongst the fallen leaves. This pattern is printed and then hand coloured. A version produced on bone china has pattern number R6869 and was first recorded in about 1919.
Salad bowl, Fallen Leaves, pattern 2/7613 c1922
Fallen Leaves bowl's backstamp
The backstamp to this bowl has the Spode company mark, the pattern number, just visible painted in blue, and also the addition of a special mark Fishmonger's Company. Spode produced special commissions from the very start of its existence in the late 1700s to about 2006. It was an important part of its business. The great livery companies of the City of London were amongst Spode's most important customers. Some continued to purchase wares of the finest quality from Spode for their dinner services, tea and coffee wares etc for over 200 years.

The Fishmongers' Company was one of Spode's customers - note the Spode engravers get the apostrophe in the wrong place in the engraving for this backstamp. You can find out more about The Fishmongers' Company here.
Leaf-shaped dish, and mould (left). Note the vein detailing
There are so many 'Spode leaves' connections that this blogpost would be never ending. There are pickle leaves produced in the late 1700s into the 1800s and revived in the mid-20th century (more often then as an ashtray not for pickle!) There are leaf-shaped dishes of all shapes and sizes decorated in every possible way - printed, painted and moulded. There are cabbage patterns and shapes - you can find out about those here and also on my Spode ABC under S for Savoy. There are ferns and foliage; sprigs and sprays; oriental style and English style. In fact you may find yourself looking for leaves of all sorts next time you look at an old pot...
Garden Pots 1881
Dessert Ware 1881
Ewer from a toilet set, pattern 3000 c1820
Dessert plate, handpainted, pattern 286 c1802
Unexpected back of pattern 286 in Chinese porcelain style, c1802
Dessert plate, bone china, Exeter shape, 1949
The Exeter shape dessert plate illustrated here features a study of two New Zealand ferns, Polypodium cunninghamii and Pteris tremula, painted by Roy Trigg. It is from a beautiful and very well-researched design for a service of dessert ware. Each item depicted two ferns. It was commissioned by the Government of New Zealand in 1949 for the planned  Royal Tour by their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth which was sadly cancelled owing to the King's ill health. The design has pattern number Y7071.

...and finally bringing us (almost) up to date...a modern bone china pattern from the last years of the Spode factory called New England comprising different leaf shaped items to 'mix and match'. The design was based on Spode archive material researched by me!
Cup and saucer in leaf shapes, New England pattern c2003
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Spode in 1956

November 8, 2014, 3:30 am
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Many years ago, when a student, I had very little money to fulfil my need to collect things... so it was usually very inexpensive items that I plumped for. These included old magazines, pamphlets and etchings which were very, very cheap at the flea markets then. Recently I was delighted to rediscover, in a pile of papers, a bound volume of the famous magazine 'Ideal Home' from the 1950s. The magazine is still published and you can find it here.

Leafing through the pages of this old favourite I found that most of the illustrations, whether for an inspiring article on room design or a garden; for newly invented products such as 'Alkathene' kitchen ware ('Light as a feather, never rusts, cleans at a wipe') or for house cleaning were in black and white or sepia. Oh... somany, many products for and instructions to women on how to clean, what to clean, when to clean, and which mop/brush/sponge or cloth to use. Many of the fabrics, furniture, room settings and gardens would be instantly popular today and tagged with the word 'Vintage'.

Only a few adverts stood out in colour. These included famous brands: K shoes, Redland Tiles, Brooke Bond Tea and Spode!

I love the patterns Spode chose to put together in this advert. Traditional and modern; decorated by old and new techniques. I also love their slogan 'Everyday Elegance'. At times this slogan had the added temptation '... and affordable too!' These are all earthenware patterns not bone china.

The Spode logo is beginning to look more like the one which became famous in the late 20th century but still not fully evolved. The marketing blurb is trying to sell history and modernity; affordability and class. And as usual the Josiah Spode is not identified so all three of the famous Spodes with the same name are merged into one.

The pattern on the silver tea tray is Chinese Rose - note the biscuits - you can still buy the same ones today. The pattern was in production from about 1913 to 2007. It was printed and then handcoloured when it was first introduced and this continued for many years. By the end of the 20th century it was decorated by 'water slide' (lithography). The quality was high with the brush strokes from the handpainted version repeated in the litho. For more on this pattern go to Spode and Chinese Rose and the C page on my Spode ABC.

The other patterns featured are clockwise from top left: Olympus, (on a two-tone body), Audley, Jacinth (on Flemish Green body) and Gainsborough.
Olympus pattern (detail)
Audley 1938 catalogue
Jacinth on Flemish Green body
Gainsborough 1961 catalogue
Audley pattern, like Chinese Rose, is based on Spode's antique designs which, in turn were influenced by Chinese porcelain of the 18th century, but Olympus and Jacinth were new, minimalist and produced on coloured earthenware.

To get a feel of the fifties here are a couple more images from the magazine:

Confused about brushes?
Nothing better than a genuine Woolliscroft!
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'A Platter large enough for the biggest holiday bird'

November 26, 2014, 7:50 am
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Filigree border, turkey centre, pattern number 2/552
The title of this post is from the 1965 Copeland & Thompson US catalogue which featured wares for Thanksgiving. Here's a page from this Spode catalogue for a magnificent design for Thanksgiving. The pattern is transfer printed (known as transferware in the US) and then hand coloured and has pattern number 2/5526. The pattern was first introduced in 1905 but as can be seen from the date of the catalogue still popular many years later. The border of the pattern is taken from an antique Spode pattern called Filigree and this was introduced in about 1823. Note the 'US English' spellings; and the different sizes of dish, referred to as a platter in the US. A 22 inch dish holding a roast turkey would have looked magnificent.

Pink or Blue Tower turkey pattern
You could though have your turkey served on different but similar designs from Spode. Tower border was often used around different centres including the engraving of the turkey. Tower was introduced in about 1814 initially on blue and later a flow blue and a pink. The later two colours were particularly popular in North America and in Germany. In the 1965 catalogue you can see that the Tower design was offered in both the pink and the blue. The patterns were printed from hand-engraved copper plates through the medium of special potters' tissue paper. This method of decoration meant that popular border designs such as Tower were often combined with other centres rather than that from the original design and this led to many different patterns being created. Tower, for example, was still being produced and adapted right up to the closure of Spode in 2009.
Turkey sets in brown
If brown tableware was more your thing then the turkey dish was offered in that colour in another design and like the other services accompanied by plates, with the matching border, with 'assorted game bird centres'. 'Tea Cups and Saucers' were also available in this pattern. This brown set has a border from a pattern called British Flowers first recorded in about 1831.

This 1965 catalogue, in black and white, was produced for the American market but the pottery was, of course, made at the famous Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent, UK whilst it was still under the Copeland family's ownership. The company was acquired by Carborundum Group the following year but still kept the Copeland name and the Spode brand until 1970. That year the Spode brand was retained but strengthened with the renaming of the company to Spode.

You can see a platter in flow blue in the Transferware Collectors Club Facebook page. Click here then page down to find a variety of turkeys and pots.
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Spode and 101 Ceramic Highlights

December 4, 2014, 8:10 am
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It is about a year since the book '101 Ceramic Highlights'was published by the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. Every time I revisit the book I learn something new, whether leafing through the pages to look at the beautiful photographs by Matthew Coupe, or reading in more depth the fascinating history of the museum and how its collections came about. Miranda Goodby, Claire Blakey and Joseph Perry did a wonderful job selecting, researching and writing about just 101 objects from this remarkable and huge collection, giving a great snapshot of what stories it can tell... and tempting you to a visit to see the galleries.
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent houses the world's greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics and no wonder it is described by Sir Timothy Sainsbury, in the forward of this book, as 'a remarkably fine collection of ceramics.'

I was delighted to find several Spode connections, not just objects made at the factory under various ownerships, but also a surprising connection to one of the Copelands. The Copeland family owned the company longer than anyone else... find out more about ownership on my Who Owned Spode? page.

So here are some of these Spode connections with a little detail based on the book and with my comments. For full information - buy the book - you know you want to!

Jingdezhen and Spode Plates: these 2 plates clearly show the strong Chinese influences on Spode production. In the late 1700s and early 1800s Spode made pieces to match and/or extend existing Chinese porcelain dinner services owned by the well-to-do at a time when it became more and more difficult to obtain porcelain from China. These designs gradually infiltrated Spode's production of both traditional and new designs. The Chinese style was constantly reworked and revived at Spode during 220 years of production; right up to the early 2000s when, ironically, the company began to have their product made in China...

Chinese Porcelain plate, 22.6cm c1720-1730
Spode bone china plate, pattern 2638, 21cm c1818
Copeland & Garrett Classical Vase: the Spode company was purchased by William Taylor Copeland in 1833 and operated under the partnership Copeland & Garrett until 1847.

This vase is a close copy of the Greek Column-crater vases produced in Attica around 460BC. These vase designs inspired neo-classical designs in the 18th century by ceramic manufacturers such as Spode, and famously Wedgwood, who interpreted them in different ways. Classical design began to go out of favour in the early 19th century before then undergoing a popular revival. In November 1846 the Art Union discussed the revival '...the art has been taken up by Messrs Copeland & Garrett'.
Large vase, pattern 6579, 38.1cm high, 1841-1847

Backstamp on large vase
Jingdezhen Dishes: this pair of Chinese porcelain dishes are connected to Spode not by their manufacture but by their owner Ronald Copeland - click his name to find a little more about him on the C page of my Spode ABC. Born into the Copeland family, who owned the Spode company from 1833 to the mid-1960s, he joined the firm in 1902 and was associated with it until his death in 1958. An accomplished businessman he was also a discerning collector.

He gave a collection of 68 porcelain objects to the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in 1942 including this pair of dishes. Until recently, in fact almost until now (!), these were thought to be from the period 1723-1735; and then decorated 1920-1929. Further study since the book was published suggests that opinions have changed and the general consensus is that both body and decoration date to the 20th century. Here we have an example of ongoing and fascinating research into this rather overlooked period of early 20th century Chinese ceramics.
'The absolute finesse and beauty of the drawing and colouring'  Ronald Copeland
The strikingly coloured reverse of the Chinese dish, 17.5cm diam
Michael Cardew Cup & Saucer: I was delighted to see that the Michael Cardew's work was also in the book and you can see more about his time at Spode on this blog by clicking here where you will also find a link to a short film of him potting.

Michael Cardew at Spode 1938


Michael Cardew from the Aberystwyth University collection

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Spode and Christmas Patterns

December 15, 2014, 2:41 am
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Catalogue page, Christmas Tree pattern, 1983 (colour not true in printed catalogue)
Spode's iconic Christmas Tree pattern was introduced in 1938 for the American market. At first it was expected it would be produced just for 1938 but proved so spectacularly popular that it has been in production ever since. After the company and its factory closed in 2009 Christmas Tree is one of the patterns now produced by Portmeirion Group who bought the Spode brand.

Plate, Christmas Tree pattern (detail), 1986
This 1930s design is the most famous Christmas design from Spode but there were many more produced before and since. You can find out more about these designs, Christmas history and find lots of images by visiting my dedicated Spode & Christmas page - just click here.

And what about the Christmas tree tradition itself? Click Spode Christmas Designs and a Bit of Christmas History to find out about where the tradition of decorated indoor trees came from - here's a clue probably not from Prince Albert.

Plate, Christmas Tree pattern, backstamps, 1940/1941

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Spode in January

January 2, 2015, 10:26 am
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One of a set of 12 tiles for the months of the year
This lovely tile, representing the month of January, was made by the Spode company under the ownership of W T Copeland & Sons in the late 1800s. It is printed and then I think it is lightly coloured in blue by hand. The same design was also produced from the same copper plate but in a version which was beautifully coloured by hand over the print: the head dress in bright yellow, 'doublet' in scarlet and fabulous 'hose' in yellow and pale blue stripes.

At this period, as well as Months of the Year subjects, other designs for tiles were produced which depicted Seasons of the Year, Nursery Rhymes, scenes from Robin Hood, Shakespearean scenes and many more. Tiles were made by the company from the late 1700s until the end of the 20th century but the peak was in the second half of the 1800s. The designs began to be recorded in a separate set of pattern books, known as the Tile Books, from about 1840 rather than dotted amongst the records of tea, dinner, dessert ware, toilet ware and ornamental ware.
A Tile Book I photographed before conservation work in 2006
Designs were also specially commissioned by various customers and for manufacturers of fireplaces. Students of tile history are particularly fortunate to have these records preserved in the Spode archive as well as, unusually, some of the original artwork signed by the artists.

'Left over' tiles used to cover stillages when a clay cellar was converted into wine cellar
The Spode factory is for some reason often forgotten when tiles are being identified. How many say 'Look at the lovely Minton tiles' when looking at old tiles on the wall of a building or beneath their feet? It is not possible always to see the back of the tile to look for a backstamp when it is in situ but as well as the fabulous tiles from Minton, there were other manufacturers who made beautifully designed and high quality tiles. One of these was Spode. In fact when it came to very large tiles, known as slabs, Spode, under the Copeland ownership, was the best.

Next time you see some gorgeous tiles beneath your feet or set into a frieze, consider for a moment, could they be from the Spode factory?

You can see more about tiles by going to my Spode ABC and look under T.

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Spode and Hot Water

January 13, 2015, 8:58 am
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This object looks like a watering can but it is properly called a hot water can and has nothing to do with plants or greenhouses. It is associated with toilet sets or toilet ware.

Nowadays hot water cans are often separated from their original context and their original purpose is forgotten. They are seen perhaps as ornamental items but were vital if you wanted more than an ice-cold wash on a cold winter's morning! This hot water can is transfer printed in blue in a pretty pattern called Aster. This pattern was introduced by Spode in about 1832 and was originally called Chinese Plants. Many of Spode's earliest patterns, of the late 1700s, were strongly influenced by designs from 18th century Chinese porcelain. This influence continued, following the vagaries of fashion, for the rest of the company's life until it closed in 2009.
Hot water can, earthenware,Aster pattern, backstamp c1889
The backstamps on the Aster hot water can tell us it is white earthenware, indicated by the impressed crown. Copeland over the crown tells us that it was made in the period when Spode was owned by the Copeland family. There is also an impressed datemark which is hard to read but I think is for 1889.

So what was the purpose of a hot water can? Imagine the days before a plumbed-in bathroom. If you are well-to-do you have a toilet set in your bedroom. Items varied depending on wealth, personal taste and the date but usually you would have a ewer, basin, chamber pot, slop pail, toothbrush box, soap box and a sponge box (the last 3 items are for some reason often confused today). Some of these items were available in several sizes and other items were available too such as urinals and bedpans.
Catalogue page, hot water can centre, 2 designs of slop pail above & below. Bottom left toothbrush box; 2nd from bottom right a toothbrush vase. c1900
Now imagine the large ewer filled with cold water ready for washing in the morning. A small amount of hot water added to this in the basin would make washing much more pleasant. This freshly boiled hot water was carried up to the bedroom by a servant in a hot water can from the kitchens or sculleries. These sometimes matched the service but the hot water cans were not always ceramic.
Metal hot water cans lined up ready to take to the bedrooms, Erdigg
Spode's ceramic hot water cans were available in many patterns such as the bird design illustrated. It is transfer printed and then hand coloured and has pattern number 2/2164 first recorded in about 1883.

Many toiletware patterns are recorded in the famous Spode pattern books. There is also a separate set of pattern books specifically for toiletware patterns dating from about 1907 to 1938 in the Spode archive. The pattern prefix is T.

On my Spode ABC there are a few more images on the T page under Toiletware - click here.
A glimpse of the Spode Toiletware pattern books with red bindings c1907-1938
Hot water can, earthenware, pattern 2/2164 c1883
Catalogue page (detail) 'Ewers and Bowls' c1867-1881
'Composition of Sets' c1902-1910
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Spode, Shoes and Slippers

February 22, 2015, 4:00 am
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Slipper inkwell (middle), bone china, handpainted with a paisley design and gilded c1820
Spode made a number of shoes or slippers from the early 1800s to about 2000. All are no bigger than about 5 inches long and some much smaller. Some were purely ornamental but the oldest ones, made in the 1820s, were slipper inkwells. They were part of desk sets. Only the wealthy, who were also educated, could afford and had need of these items which meant they are exquisitely decorated with the most expensive designs. They also followed the designs of fashionable shoes of the period.

'Writing necessities' bone china, pattern 3993, from Robert Copeland's book 'Ceramic Bygones'
In the image labelled 'writing necessities' you can see a range of items in pattern 3993 made in about 1824. Spot the slipper inkwell on the left behind the pen/pencil tray. Pattern 3993 is decorated with a crimson ground - crimson is a derivative of gold and consequently a very expensive colour for ceramic decoration. This is coupled with decoration in a technique known as 'raised and cut up'. Look under R on the Potbank Dictionary for details. This enabled texture and detail to be added to the elegant and sumptuous gilding. The same style slipper inkwell was also made with a cobalt blue ground (another expensive colour) in pattern 4054 of c1825. Some of the designs of these slipper inkwells had the 'soles' painted to look like leather.


Slipper inkwell, bone china, as pattern 4054 but c1985 in a range called 'Spode Museum Reproductions'

Slipper inkwell bird's eye view showing stopper, quill holders and other slots c1820
Spode backstamp and 'sole' of pale blue slipper inkwell above
Inkwells were made by Spode in many shapes at this period as part of sets and stand-alone items. A further look into this subject will have to wait for a future blogpost. In the meantime go to my Spode ABC and look for Inkwells on the I page which will give you a link for a Spode 1820 Shape Book.

But back to shoes and slippers...

The shape was also made as a toy or miniature by Spode, under the Copeland ownership. These were probably purely ornamental. The tiny bone china shoe looked like an elegant but worn floppy slipper and was made in the late 1800s. These too would have been expensive trinkets.
Slipper, bone china, late 1800s
Slipper, bone china, late 1800s
In about 2000 some miniatures were made by Spode and they included slippers. My favourite design was taken from the Spode pattern book of c1813 based on pattern number 1865. This was called Astor when reintroduced on teaware and toys and also given the new pattern number of Y8632. Originally hand painted it was decorated by lithography known as waterslide at Spode. Both the antique version and the new version of the pattern were gilded.

Spode slipper, bone china, pattern Y8632 c2000

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