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Spode Porcelain Botanical Named Specimen Dishes After William Curtis, a Pair

$1,600per item

£1,196.39per item

€1,397.32per item

CA$2,248per item

A$2,277.10per item

CHF 1,307.47per item

MX$27,609.20per item

NOK 15,171.46per item

SEK 15,442.80per item

DKK 10,446.43per item

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About the Item

Spode Porcelain Botanical Named Specimen Dishes After William Curtis, a Pair This superb pair of Spode porcelain botanical dishes was made as part of a Regency dessert service, each of deep pointed-oval form with a shaped and scalloped rim and a raised shell-form handle at either end, the handles molded with a flower head reserved on a rich gilt ground. A fine gilt band finishes the rim of each dish. Each dish is painted at the center with a named botanical specimen against a pristine white ground, after the hand-colored engravings published in William Curtis's The Botanical Magazine. The Gum Cistus (Cistus ladaniferus) is shown as a white bloom with deep crimson blotches at the base of each petal, borne on a leafy stem with lance-shaped foliage and a cluster of buds. The Large-Flowered Monsonia (Monsonia speciosa), a native of the Cape, is painted with a broad pink flower, its petals finely veined about a dark center, accompanied by a nodding bud and finely divided fern-like leaves. The botanical name of each specimen is inscribed in script on the reverse, as intended for a service on which every dish carried a different flower. Dimensions Length: 11⅛ inches (28.3 cm) Width: 7¾ inches (19.7 cm) Height: 2¼ inches (5.7 cm) Marks Each dish is inscribed on the reverse in script with the botanical name — "Gum Cistus" and "Large-Flowered Monsonia" — above the factory name SPODE, the Gum Cistus dish in puce and the Large-Flowered Monsonia in iron-red. Provenance Earle D. Vandekar of Knightsbridge Condition Excellent antique condition. The hand-painted enamels are vivid and the gilding remains bright, with only minor surface wear commensurate with age. References Gum Cistus: William Curtis, The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed, plate 112 (London, 1790). Large-Flowered Monsonia: William Curtis, The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed, plate 73 (London, 1789–1790). Historical Context Spode's named botanical services were among the most fashionable wares of the Regency, answering a British enthusiasm for horticulture fed by the flood of exotic plants arriving from the Cape, the Americas, and the East. The Botanical Magazine, founded by William Curtis in 1787 and celebrated for the scientific accuracy and beauty of its hand-colored engravings, supplied the models. Spode's painters translated those two-dimensional prints onto porcelain and named each specimen on the reverse, so that a dessert service became an exhibition of the flower garden brought to the table. (Ref: NY10439-crrx)

Creator:
Spode (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 2.25 in (5.72 cm)Width: 11.13 in (28.28 cm)Depth: 7.75 in (19.69 cm)
Style:
Regency (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1810
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Downingtown, PA
Reference Number:
Seller: NY10439-crrx1stDibs: LU861038419062

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Spode

Spode is one of the oldest and most distinguished of the great pottery companies of Staffordshire, the time-honored home of English ceramics. The firm’s blue and white bone china transferware is a timeless classic. Spode dishes compose the sort of elegant dinner service that most of us envision on a traditional holiday table.

The company was established in 1770 in Stoke-on-Trent by Josiah Spode, a friend and neighbor of another estimable English ceramist, Josiah Wedgwood. The Wedgwood firm first came to prominence for its tableware, which quickly gained favor in aristocratic households throughout Britain and Europe.

Spode was particularly known for two technical achievements in the firm’s early decades. The first was to develop a standard formula for the making of bone china — a type of porcelain (made with a mixture of bone ash, minerals and clay) that is dazzlingly white and so strong it can be used to create very thin translucent plates and vessels.

The other advancement was to perfect the making of transferware. That process involves the transfer of pictorial images inked on tissue paper — such as the garden scenery in the famous Willow dish patterns — onto ceramics that are then sealed with a glaze.

From the 1820s onward, Spode enjoyed tremendous success both in Britain and elsewhere owing to the beauty and vitality of its decorative imagery. By some counts, Spode created more than 40,000 patterns in the 19th century.

In 1833, following the sudden death of Josiah Spode III, business partner W. T. Copeland took over the company and changed its name to Copeland Spode (it later changed again, this time to W. T. Copeland and Sons). Collectors regard Copeland-marked pieces as Spode china. The Spode brand was revived in 1970.

Many favorite Spode patterns — among them Blue Italian, Indian Tree, Greek and Woodland — date to the company’s early years. Spode’s most popular pattern, Christmas Tree, was introduced in 1938.

Prices for antique and vintage Spode china vary widely, based on the size of the service, its condition and the pattern. An antique dinner service for 12 people or more, in good repair and complete with cups and serving dishes, will generally cost between $10,000 and $20,000. Such Spode services become heirlooms — a proud and timeless addition to a family’s table. And as you will see on these pages, Spode’s rich and varied wares offer a visual feast in and of themselves.

Find Spode serveware, ceramics and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

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