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Two Large Spode "Greek" Platters, England, Early 19th Century

$8,800List Priceper set

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.

Antique Early 19th Century English George III Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of 19th Century Spode Porcelain Ice-Pails

$5,949 / set

H 10 in W 10 in D 9 in

Pair of 19th Century Hand-Painted Spode Sauce Tureens

By Spode

Located in Great Barrington, MA

This is a special pair of 19th C, Spode sauce tureens with matching attached underplates and handles. The raised molded relief depicting pheasants ...

Category

Antique 19th Century English Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of 19th Century Hand-Painted Spode Sauce Tureens

$1,800 / set

H 4.75 in W 7 in D 4.5 in

Pair of Spode 19th C Pierced Green Chestnut Baskets & Under Plates

By Spode

Located in Great Barrington, MA

This pair of rare 19th c Spode Chestnut bowls are in amazing original condition and feature a green enamel leaf motif with pierced border. Each has two handles and basketweave on bot...

Category

Antique 1850s English Regency Revival Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Spode 19th C Pierced Green Chestnut Baskets & Under Plates

$3,200 / set

H 1 in Dm 9.6 in

Large Late 19th Century English Blue Willow Deep Platter

By Allertons

Located in Port Jervis, NY

Fabulous deep and large blue willow platter from England. Late 19th century in excellent condition with no damage, chips or cracks. Excellent color retention. The best serving platte...

Category

Antique 1890s English Campaign Serving Pieces

Materials

Porcelain, Ironstone

Large Late 19th Century English Blue Willow Deep Platter

$350

H 2 in W 14.5 in D 18.25 in

Early 19th Century English Spode Goudy Dutch China Serving Set

By Spode

Located in Charlottesville, VA

A collection of early 19th C. English Spode Goudy Dutch china, featuring a vibrant palette of cobalt, iron red, green, and gilt highlights. The set includes four graduated oval servi...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century British Serving Pieces

Materials

Porcelain

Early 19th Century English Spode Goudy Dutch China Serving Set

$2,200

Early 19th Century Regency Spode Pair of Porcelain Dessert Dishes

By Spode

Located in Dublin 8, IE

Early 19th century Regency Spode pair of porcelain hand painted dessert dishes of circular form with lobed gilded rim, decorated to the edge with gilded egg and dart motif against gr...

Category

Antique 1810s British Regency Serving Pieces

Materials

Porcelain

Early 19th Century Regency Spode Pair of Porcelain Dessert Dishes

$2,584 / set

H 2.5 in Dm 11 in

Antique Early 19th Century Spode Porcelain Pattern Number 2408 Tea Cup & Saucer

By Spode

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A fine antique Spode porcelain cup & saucer. Pattern no. 2408 Decorated throughout with a cobalt floral patttern and extensive gilding. Simply a great cup & saucer from Spod...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Early 19th Century Spode Porcelain Pattern Number 2408 Tea Cup & Saucer

$295

H 2.63 in Dm 5.5 in

19th Century Spode Blue and White Platter

Located in Chicago, IL

An incredible late 19th century English Spode white porcelain platter with a charming blue transfer floral pattern with roses, leaf festoons, and other flo...

Category

Antique 1880s British Platters and Serveware

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Spode Blue and White Platter

$1,850

H 1.5 in W 18.75 in D 15.25 in

Early 19th Century Spode Red Greek Pattern Tile

By Spode, Josiah Spode

Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL

A Neoclassical red transferware tile made by Spode 1806-1810, with the ‘Zeus in His Chariot’ pattern. Sir William Hamilton’s Collection of Etruscan, Greek and Roman antiquities, first published in 1766 by Pierre d’Hancarville, was a landmark publication in English design. It intended to disseminate the Antique style through its engravings of Attic pottery. The catalog’s faithful reproductions of Classical vases led British potteries, including Spode, to adapt or even copy the ancient art for modern life. These Spode Greek pattern tiles reflect the major influence of Hamilton’s catalog on English Neoclassicism. The central scene was taken directly from the catalog. This tile can be dated to a narrow window of production in the Spode factory, 1806-1810. During that time, Spode used a technique known as the “Pluck and Dust” method to print in red transfer designs onto creamware. Using this method, source prints were transferred overglaze using tissue imprinted with a very faint rendition of the design outlined in sticky oil. The decorator applied the tissue to the object then carefully “plucked” or pulled it away, leaving the sticky oil design behind. Then, a finely-ground enamel color was “dusted” onto the surface, sticking to any areas that had the oil. A final firing at a low temperature in the enamel kiln made the pattern permanent. The Pluck and Dust technique improved upon bat-printing and enabled larger designers to be transferred. It was short-lived, however, as under-glaze transfer printing soon took over as the preferred method for producing transferwares. Dimensions: 5 in. x 5 in. x 1/4 in. Condition: Excellent. Provenance: The Collection of Nancy and Andrew Ramage Jonathan Horne...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century English Neoclassical Pottery

Materials

Earthenware, Creamware

Early 19th Century Spode Red Greek Pattern Tile

$1,500

H 5 in W 5 in D 0.25 in

Spode Hand-painted Rose Plate, English, 19th Century

By Spode

Located in Southampton, NY

Spode Porcelain Hand-painted Rose Plate, English, 19th Century Marked underside 2/183 in yellow From a Private Collection in Manhattan. Good overall condi...

Category

Antique 19th Century English Porcelain

Materials

Porcelain

Spode Hand-painted Rose Plate, English, 19th Century

$250

H 1.2 in Dm 8.5 in

Two Large Spode "Greek" Platters, England, Early 19th Century

About the Item

Spode

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