Retro Copeland Spode
1950s English Mid-Century Modern Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Japonisme Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century British Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Victorian Retro Copeland Spode
Ironstone
Mid-20th Century Italian Victorian Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
People Also Browsed
20th Century Danish Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1950s American Retro Copeland Spode
Crystal
Late 20th Century Retro Copeland Spode
Silver Plate
1810s British George III Retro Copeland Spode
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century International Style Retro Copeland Spode
Silver
19th Century French Rococo Retro Copeland Spode
Bronze
Early 1800s English George III Retro Copeland Spode
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Georgian Retro Copeland Spode
Earthenware
1920s English Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
2010s Minimalist Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century Canadian Victorian Retro Copeland Spode
Silver Plate
1810s English Georgian Retro Copeland Spode
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century German Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1860s British Victorian Retro Copeland Spode
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century English Neoclassical Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Retro Copeland Spode
Pottery
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century English Rococo Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Chinoiserie Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Earthenware
Late 20th Century Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Regency Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1960s English Chinese Export Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1960s English Chinese Export Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1970s English Retro Copeland Spode
Gold
Mid-20th Century English Neoclassical Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1950s Great Britain (UK) Retro Copeland Spode
Enamel
Mid-20th Century Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century North American Retro Copeland Spode
Late 20th Century English Country Retro Copeland Spode
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1950s Great Britain (UK) Chinese Export Retro Copeland Spode
1960s British Retro Copeland Spode
Gold, Enamel
1950s English Chinese Export Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
1950s English Retro Copeland Spode
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
Late 20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Mid-20th Century English Retro Copeland Spode
Copeland Spode for sale on 1stDibs
Steeped in British history and tradition, the name Copeland Spode is renowned among porcelain collectors for its fine-quality bone china and earthenware pieces. With its roots in Spode — one of the oldest and most distinguished of the great pottery companies of Staffordshire, the time-honored home of English ceramics — Copeland Spode is known to pottery enthusiasts for some of the most timeless and recognizable patterns produced in 19th and early 20th-century porcelain manufacturing such as Wicker Lane, Chinese Rose and Tower. Collectors regard Copeland-marked pieces as Spode china.
The story of Copeland Spode china began in 1770 when English potter Josiah Spode founded a pottery and homewares company called Spode in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Within fifteen years, the manufacturer became known for its signature blue-on-white palette, and one of the company’s designers developed a specific cobalt hue for their teapots, trays, bowls and more. Spode’s founder was particularly revered 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 was to perfect the making of transferware.
In 1833, entrepreneurs William Taylor Copeland (the Lord Mayor of London at the time) and Thomas Garrett purchased Spode’s pottery-making company following the death of Josiah Spode III, and the name was changed to Copeland Spode. Then, in 1847, Copeland became the firm’s sole owner and the name changed again, this time to W. T. Copeland and Sons, in 1867 when Copeland retired and his four sons took over the business.
Trading as W. T. Copeland and Sons throughout the mid-to-late 19th century, the company found a formidable competitor in another well-known porcelain maker, Minton. Many of the manufacturer’s Georgian, Rococo and late-Victorian pieces such as its dinner plates, tableware, platters, bowls and baskets were commissioned by wealthy British and European clients and exported for sale throughout the British Empire and to the United States. Several of W. T. Copeland and Sons’ spectacular pieces were exhibited at the Great Exhibition of London in 1851 and the International Exhibitions of London and Paris in 1862 and 1878, respectively.
In addition to their exceptional quality and design, the company’s ceramics were particularly prized for their intricate patterns which featured a variety of colors. For instance, its popular Tower pattern was available in a pale ultramarine blue, a darker Royal Saxon blue, rose pink, brown and green.
The company continued as W. T. Copeland and Sons until 1970 when Spode again became the brand's name. Afterward, during the late 1970s, Spode, Royal Worcester and Palissy came under common ownership. In 2009, the firm was purchased by the Portmeirion Group. However, the Spode and Royal Worcester names continue to flourish as highly popular “traditional English heritage” brands within the Portmeirion company.
Find antique Copeland Spode serveware, decorative objects and more collectibles on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right dining-entertaining for You
Your dining room table is a place where stories are shared and personalities shine — why not treat yourself and your guests to the finest antique and vintage glass, silver, ceramics and serveware for your meals?
Just like the people who sit around your table, your serveware has its own stories and will help you create new memories with your friends and loved ones. From ceramic pottery to glass vases, set your table with serving pieces that add even more personality, color and texture to your dining experience.
Invite serveware from around the world to join your table settings. For special occasions, dress up your plates with a striking Imari charger from 19th-century Japan or incorporate Richard Ginori’s Italian porcelain plates into your dining experience. Celebrate the English ritual of afternoon tea with a Japanese tea set and an antique Victorian kettle. No matter how big or small your dining area is, there is room for the stories of many cultures and varied histories, and there are plenty of ways to add pizzazz to your meals.
Add different textures and colors to your table with dinner plates and pitchers of ceramic and silver or a porcelain lidded tureen, a serving dish with side handles that is often used for soups. Although porcelain and ceramic are both made in a kiln, porcelain is made with more refined clay and is more durable than ceramic because it is denser. The latter is ideal for statement pieces — your tall mid-century modern ceramic vase is a guaranteed conversation starter. And while your earthenware or stoneware is maybe better suited to everyday lunches as opposed to the fine bone china you’ve reserved for a holiday meal, handcrafted studio pottery coffee mugs can still be a rich expression of your personal style.
“My motto is ‘Have fun with it,’” says author and celebrated hostess Stephanie Booth Shafran. “It’s yin and yang, high and low, Crate & Barrel with Christofle silver. I like to mix it up — sometimes in the dining room, sometimes on the kitchen banquette, sometimes in the loggia. It transports your guests and makes them feel more comfortable and relaxed.”
Introduce elegance at supper with silver, such as a platter from celebrated Massachusetts silversmith manufacturer Reed and Barton or a regal copper-finish flatware set designed by International Silver Company, another New England company that was incorporated in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1898. By then, Meriden had already earned the nickname “Silver City” for its position as a major hub of silver manufacturing.
At the bar, try a vintage wine cooler to keep bottles cool before serving or an Art Deco decanter and whiskey set for after-dinner drinks — there are many possibilities and no wrong answers for tableware, barware and serveware. Explore an expansive collection of antique and vintage glass, ceramics, silver and serveware today on 1stDibs.