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Spode Imperial China Dessert Service, Frog Pattern in Mauve, Regency circa 1828

Name: Spode Imperial China Dessert Service, Frog Pattern in Mauve, Regency circa 1828
Brand: Spode
Rating: 5 (44 reviews)

About the Item

This is a very striking part dessert service made by Spode in about 1828, which is the Regency era. It is made of Spode's Imperial China and has the Frog pattern in mauve/purple. It consists of a high footed comport, three one-handled serving dishes and eight plates. Spode was the great pioneer among the Georgian potters in England. Around the year 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. This set was potted in the "Spode's Imperial", an improved type of very strong earthenware that Spode brought out in 1820. This earthenware is whiter than previous versions and it rings like porcelain. The service is decorated in a bright purple/plum and gilt version of the Frog pattern. The initial Frog pattern, a copy of a Chinese pattern used in the 18th century, was brought out by Spode in various colours in 1821 and was used for the inauguration dinner of King George IV in July 1822. The pattern number of this was 3248; this is a simpler version of the same pattern brought out a number of years later. The decoration consists of a formation of rocks, flowers, foliage and water, with a little frog jumping up from the water onto one for the plants. What is interesting about this pattern is that the entire formation reminds one of a sitting frog, while on the top right hand you can see the little frog jumping. The rims are a play on water and dense foliage in a rather abstract way. The colours are various shades of purple/plum and gilt. The plates have gadrooned rims, which was fashionable in the late 1820s. All items are marked in underglaze blue with "Spode's Imperial". Most have the pattern number painted on in red. Condition report The set is in good condition, with several minor flaws. The comport has one side of one of the handles professionally repaired - this is not obvious at all, but it means it should be washed quickly without soaking the item. There are a few small nicks off the underside of the rims of three of the plates. A majority of the items is crazed to some degree (a few are uncrazed). There is some rubbing to the gilt, as can be expected of a service of this age. Antique British china 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. Dimensions: Comport 34.5cm (13.5") x 23cm (9") and stands 13cm (5") high; serving dishes 23cm (9") x 21cm (8.5") and stands 5cm (2") high; plates 23cm (9") diameter and 3cm (1.25") high. Please note that this set is listed in the summary as having 13 pieces, but they are in fact 12 pieces. Apologies, once listed this summary cannot be changed.

Creator:
Spode (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 1 in (2.54 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 13
Style:
Regency (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Ironstone,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1820-1829
Date of Manufacture:
1828
Condition:
Repaired: The comport has a professional repair to the rim, which is invisible. It is fine to use for dry or semi-dry foods or fruit. Wear consistent with age and use. The large comport has a professional repair to the rim which is invisible; it is still good to use for dry or semi-dry foods or fruit.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: A-SPO441stDibs: LU4805116992452

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.

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