Spode Felspar Porcelain Shell Dish, Chinoiserie Famille Rose Fishermen

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Spode Felspar Porcelain Shell Dish, Chinoiserie Famille Rose Fishermen

About the Item

This is a gorgeous dessert serving dish, or "shell dish", made by Spode in circa 1825, which was the Regency era. The dish has a beautiful "famille rose" Chinoiserie decoration with little landscape scenes with fishermen. Spode was the great pioneer among the Georgian potters in England, circa 1800 he perfected the bone china recipe that has been used by British potters ever since, and he was also the leading potter behind the technique of transferware, making it possible for English potters to replace the Chinese export china, which had come to an end around that time, with their own designs. This was fundamental to a thriving industry that would last for about 150 years and provide half the world with their tableware. Spode porcelain is regarded as one of the highest quality porcelains around; for a soft-paste porcelain it is surprisingly hard and fine, and has a wonderful bright white color. When tapped, this dish sounds like it was potted in "Felspar" porcelain, which was a new recipe that Spode brought out - Felspar porcelain is a little heavier than the normal bone china and it has a high-pitched loud "ping" when tapped. The pattern on this dish is a very faithfully executed Chinoiserie design with "famille rose" borders of iron red and gilt, and little teal-colored landscape scenes with fishermen. There are some beautiful Chinese flowers in the centre of the plate as well as on the outer rims. The dish has a beautiful gilded handle (often called a shell handle) that allowed people around the table to pass on the dish, presumably full of fruits, trifle or nuts, without dirtying their hands. The dish is not marked; it is likely that this was made for a retailer who did not wish Spode's name to be on the item, or possibly as a replacement for a Chinese dessert service. Condition report: The dish is in fabulous condition without any damage, repairs, crazing or significant wear. There is a little firing fault on the handle, please see last picture. Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account. There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures! Dimensions: 21cm (8.25") x 24.5cm (9.75").

Creator:
Spode (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)Diameter: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)
Style:
Chinoiserie (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1820-1829
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1825
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. In excellent condition without any damage, crazing or repairs, just some very light wear.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-SPO591stDibs: LU4805121618182

Shop All Spode

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.