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Spode Porcelain Botanical Specimen Dishes- A Pair. After William Curtis

About the Item

Spode Porcelain Botanical Named Specimen Dishes, After William Curtis, A Pair, Circa 1810-20 A superb pair of Spode porcelain botanical dishes with a gilt border and to each end a raised shaped handle decorated with a flower head on a gilt ground. The Spode porcelain dishes are of an deep oval form and were made to part of a dessert service. Each dish has a different botanical specimen after William Curtis. One dish named Gum Cistus and one named Large-flowered Monsonia. The spiderwort also known as Virginian Tradescantia is after Cutis as is the Large-flowered Monsonia, "Monsonia speciosa", with large pink flowers. A native of the Cape, South Africa. The botanicals after William Curtis's The Botanical Magazine illustrated by James Sowerby. Mark: Each dish is printed with the word SPODE; the Gum Cistus with a purple color and the other in red. Dimensions: 11 1/8 inches long x 7 3/4 inches x 2 1/4 inches high. The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Each of the issues contains a description, in formal yet accessible language, and is renowned for featuring the work of two centuries of botanical illustrators. Many plants received their first publication on the pages, and the description given was enhanced by the keenly detailed illustrations. The first issue, published on 1 February 1787, was begun by William Curtis, as both an illustrated gardening and botanical journal. Curtis was an apothecary and botanist who held a position at Kew Gardens, who had published the highly praised (but poorly sold) Flora Londinensis a few years before. The publication familiarized its readers with ornamental and exotic plants, which it presented in octavo format. Artists who had previously given over their flower paintings to an affluent audience, now saw their work published in a format accessible by a wider one. The illustrations were initially hand-coloured prints, taken from copper engravings and intended to complement the text. Identification by a general reader was given in exploded details, some of which were given as a section. This was accompanied by a page or two of text describing the plants properties, history, growth characteristics, and some common names for the species. (From The Botanical Magazine) (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

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

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