Spode and The Art Gallery

In 1950 Spode, under W. T. Copeland & Sons Ltd, commissioned a book about the firm from G. Bernard Hughes. It was called The Story of Spode. Looking at it recently I saw this black and white image of what I knew as simply the Art Gallery when I worked there.

Designed, I believe, in the 1930s along with a new showroom it looks quite austere but is quite a hit with those of us who love mid-twentieth century design. In reality the contrast between different exotic woods which decorated the walls, panels and 'hidden' cupboards was striking. In recent years the contrast mellowed but a furniture conservator who came to look at some antique pieces for me was enamoured and went around identifying all the different types of veneer for me!

Ronald Copeland, Managing Director and partner in the firm was, like his brother Gresham, 'into' antiques and collecting old Spode to help tell the history of the Spode firm and its products. This trait was inherited by their sons Spencer and Robert respectively.

In this image of The Ronald Copeland Art Gallery the pots are displayed in cases flush with the walls. The cases had glass fronts framed in bronze and the design was intended to look like paintings in a gallery, hence the name Art Gallery. (The practicality of opening top-hinged plate glass windows framed in bronze is another story). At the time of this photo the antiques - pots, paintings and furniture - were owned variously by the company and individual members of the Copeland family. A change of ownership of the firm and the creation of a museum trust was some way ahead.

Some of the pots from the Art Gallery at this time may have made it into the Spode Museum Trust object collection but many went to Trelissick Mansion in Cornwall which became the home of Ronald, through the inheritance of his wife Ida Fenzi (a fascinating woman - search on Ida Fenzi or Copeland for more about her) and later their son, Spencer Copeland. It became the core of the Copeland China collection there.

During my time as curator, the Art Gallery was used to display to some of the museum's huge reserve collection. It was also used during the Trade Shows and other events for lavish corporate dinners. The colour image here shows detail of case 11 in about 1999, with a range of 'badged' wares (specially commissioned items) including an example of the elegant dessert and tea wares used on RMS Titanic and a plate commissioned by the Society of the Cincinnati.

This latter, transfer printed in blue, gilded and hand coloured, can be seen behind and just to the left of the smaller red plate on the left of the image. This is one of 200 made in 1955 and it was a replica of a Chinese porcelain plate of the 18th century. Spode produced a new shape (shape number K951) to match the Chinese shape exactly and used their Fine Stone body (ie Stone china). The Spode engraving included, as requested, every 'minor imperfection' of the hand painted original. In fact Robert Copeland told me that the first sample was 'too perfect' and was re-engraved at the request of the society!

Spode and Buttercups and Dandelions

I have been taking advantage of a rare warm and sunny spring day to get into the garden to do some much-needed tidying. As an organic gardener I spend a lot of time digging up weeds. It's actually quite therapeutic! This year the buttercups are doing fantastically well. Buttercups are one of those weeds/wild flowers which are quite nostalgic because as children in the UK they are one of the first flowers to learn and to wonder at with their incredible yellow flower. As an adult the attitude changes as many regard them as pernicious weeds. Spode produced a pattern called Buttercup which became very popular, particularly in America.

1983 catalogue page

Example of a backstamp
used to about 1957

In the Spode archive there is a record of a buttercup pattern which is a hand painted design recorded with pattern number 1/4265. This was produced on bone china in about 1885. It is thought to have been designed by Felix Xavier Abrahams, a fine artist, who worked at the factory between about 1882 and c1902. He was Art Director for a short time. Probably influenced by this hand painted design, Buttercup appeared in about 1896 in something akin to its most popular form, on earthenware, on Chelsea Wicker shape. It had pattern number 2/4187 and was printed in outline from a hand engraved copper plate and then hand coloured.

Also in 1896 a differently coloured version appeared with pattern number 2/4191 and called Mandalay. This was in reds and browns. However the best known version has pattern number 2/7873 and was first recorded in 1924 remaining in production until 1992. Many customers who wanted to add to their services asked for its reintroduction and this finally happened in 2000 but sadly was not the success it was expected to be.

Example of a backstamp 
used after 1970

The Chelsea Wicker shape was registered as a shape design on 29th October 1890 with registered number 159997.  It is an ivory coloured earthenware and was often marked Spode Imperial. The Spode Imperial name and mark was registered as a trademark with registered number 90067 on 11th April 1890.

The shape with its deeply fluted rim derives from the famous Chelsea factory in London. The embossed wicker weave is a design which was used at the Spode factory in the early 1800s particularly for dessert wares on both bone china and earthenware.

Although the revived shape was registered in 1890 the earliest pattern is not recorded in the pattern books until about 1892 as 2/3674 and the shape was described as Basket Work Chelsea Shape. Many patterns were produced on what was to become a well-loved shape.

Buttercup pattern features a wild flower and there was also another similar pattern featuring another wild flower called Cowslip. This latter was also printed and then hand coloured. 

1962 German catalogue
Buttercup left and Cowslip right

Charles Ferdinand Hürten (about whom I write in my blog Spode and Charles Ferdinand Hürten) excelled at flower painting in a natural style. 'Weeds' were not ignored by him and he painted pretty primroses, delicate daisies and wispy grasses. The image here is of a tray made in about 1865 with his study of a group of wild flowers featuring a fabulous dandelion. It almost makes you like dandelions...

Spode and Italian...with added colour

On a recent visit to Lyme Regis, Dorset, on a glorious (and rare this year) warm, spring sunny day, you would think that the sparkling seascape, the cliffs, the birds, the Jane Austen associations, the Cobb, the architecture, and town would be enough. But I spot an Antiques Centre a step away from the beach. A quick peek around the door and, wonderful, it is FULL OF POTS!

It may come as a surprise but I do not collect Spode. It should come as no surprise, though, that I do love pots so in we went. Half way round, amongst the Aladdin's cave interior, was one small section with a pile of blue transfer printed plates stacked high at the bottom of a glass-fronted cupboard. Near the bottom, just peeping out, I recognised the edge of a Spode pattern. It was the border of Italian pattern but with added red and gold. I think I have only ever seen this pattern as a paper record in the Spode pattern books and in a photograph. Never 'in the flesh'.

When my hyper-ventilating stops, I fetch the manager, who infinitely slowly finds the key and picks up a pile of beautiful plates and plonks them before me. I nonchalantly sort through waiting for the Spode beauty to appear. And it is indeed a beauty. Pristine condition. Light as a feather, with a familiar silky smooth glaze and crisply marked with fine Spode backstamps.

Nearly 200 years old and as new.

The lightness of Spode's pearlware, a type of earthenware, always surprises me. The high quality of Spode's production is embodied in this dessert plate. Transfer printed in blue, glazed with that silky smooth glaze, hand-coloured in red and then gilded. This is a piece which would have gone through 4 or 5 firings. It has pattern number 2614 of about 1818, often mentioned in books as the earliest record of the Italian pattern from which its introduction is dated, but omitting the fact that it is gorgeously coloured.

Aimed at the well-to-do customer, it is just one piece from a dessert service, which must have shimmered in candlelight when laid out all those years ago.

And yes I did buy it...

Spode and Tiles

It never ceases to amaze me where a web search can take you. I was looking at the website of the Museum of Modern Art, New York to see what was going on this year and was immediately confronted by an image of a striking interior chosen to represent an exhibition about architect Henri Labrouste. I immediately recognised it as the interior of the Bibliothèque Nationale. Now, you may ask why a Spode fanatic should recognise the interior of a public building in Paris? The answer is that the elegant ceiling tiles for the cupolas were commissioned from the Spode factory whilst it was under the Copeland ownership.

The late Robert Copeland did much research on this mid-19th century commission for the Bibliothèque Nationale. It seems that the Spode factory were the only pottery manufacturer to feel able to quote for the job - not even the French companies daring to tackle such a momentous project. I was very excited whilst curator at the Spode Museum to rediscover the 'lost' plan for the project, dated 1863, with the design drawn out by hand and the annotations and instructions in French.

Whilst many may marvel at the books, furniture and overall architecture of the building how many give a second glance to the ceiling tiles? But this is momentous feat of ceramic skills showing the technical brilliance of the Spode factory. It is a mathematical feat as well as a potting one to get the 24 different shapes of tile to fit as per the plan. Some of the tiles would have had to go through a bottle oven firing at least three times and any warping, cracking and shrinking would have been disastrous. Some tiles had an embossed design and were glazed with a crimson glaze but Robert Copeland records 'the plain tiles do appear to be not glazed, and from my observation, they appear to be made of the parian body'. I believe, like me, he was never able to handle a tile from this project; certainly there are none in the Spode Museum. Unlike me, though, he visited the library and was able to form his considered opinion then. I have this image of hundreds of students head down researching their books in this beautiful space and the lone Robert Copeland walking around intently looking upwards!

On 21 October 1868 the Illustrated London News reported: 'The roof consists of 9 cupolas supported by 16 slender columns, 30 ft in height; light obtaining admission through a circular skylight placed at the summit of each cupola'.

There is some confusion about the quantity of tiles used. One source, quoting in the tens of thousands, seems to have got the maths wrong and the true amount calculated by Robert Copeland is nearly 5,000 delivered over a period of about 12 months.

Many visitors to grand buildings who may spot floor, wall or ceiling tiles often immediately attribute them to Minton. But the Spode factory made tiles of all types, including encaustic tiles, in the Spode period (up to 1833); in the Copeland & Garrett period (1833-1847) when some tile patents were taken out; and of course in the later 19th century boom of tile making during the Copeland period (after 1847). For a summary of Spode ownership click here.

Large ceramic slabs, as well as tiles, became a speciality of the factory in the 19th century so it is no surprise that the respected Spode firm was approached and accepted the challenge for the Bibliothèque Nationale, making the tiles so successfully for such an important and prestigious project.

On tiles generally there are examples in the Spode Museum collection as well as relevant papers in the Spode archive including pattern books and original drawings for various designs.

I am very fond of the tiles still in situ at the factory used to decorate stillages when a clay cellar was converted to a wine cellar in the late 19th century! Random left over tiles of all sorts were used. You may wonder why the factory needed a wine cellar but they entertained customers from royalty downwards who would come to the factory to choose their wares and on official visits. There is even a wine list in the archive somewhere...

Here is my photo of a section of these tiles on the stillages, which is not bad considering I virtually fell down collapsing steps into the unlit, muddy-floored cellar, camera aloft - but I really did have to see those tiles I had heard about. You can find a mention of slabs and tiles on other blogs on this site - click here and also here.

NB You can click here for a link to MOMA's exhibition page.The exhibition lasts to June 2013 so this link may eventually break.

Spode and French Porcelain

Many Spode shapes and styles, following the introduction of bone china in about 1800, follow the French porcelain manufacturers, particularly Sèvres. The quality of Spode's bone china matched that of Sèvres porcelain earning a 20th century description from a former curator of the museum there: 'The Spode factory was without doubt the most important factory in the 19th century'.

The Spode 1820 Shape Book proves the styles of the company at this period followed the French as many shapes blatantly have the prefix French. Page 10 shows a French Shape Jar made in 3 sizes. Jar is an old word for vase.

1820 Shape Book page 10
(Click the caption for Spode Exhibition Online)

Page 100 shows the updated version called New Shape French Jar. This was made in 8 sizes and was very popular with Spode's wealthy customers. It was usually decorated in spectacular style with lots of gold and cobalt and beautiful hand painted landscape scenes, portraits or floral subjects. The reverse, or 'backside' as the pattern books describe it, was usually gilded in classical style on a cobalt blue ground. This could be seen reflected in a mirror when displayed against one, for example on a mantelpiece.

1820 Shape Book page 100
(Click the caption for Spode Exhibition Online)

Decorated New Shape French Jar (front|)

Decorated New Shape French Jar (backside)
(used on the cover of a book on Spode)

Other shape names include Paris and Sèvres in their description. In the Spode Museum collection there is a pair of cups and saucers in the shape of a plant. I thought them beautiful the moment I saw them when I first unpacked them from a box prior to display in the 1990s; and immediately showed how little I knew as I thought they were from about 1870! But I soon discovered they were made in about 1816.

Spode 'Tulip Cup' c1816

The design is in the pattern books simply with an illustration and the pattern number 2395. I have included my very, very poor snapshot of one on display. In the museum catalogue they were described as 'Tulip Cups' - a description I was never happy with as they don't really look like tulips...

Imagine my delight when I found one recently in the Sèvres Museum collection! The Spode version has less gold inside but there is no doubt the company was following the French style. I was fascinated to learn about this cup described as 'tasse cobéa'.

What was it? Of course it is a plant but one I didn't know and it has the delightful common name of 'cup-and-saucer vine'. What could be more appropriate? And can you forgive me for thinking is was late 19th century?

Sèvres Tasse Cobéa c1813
(Click the caption for the Sèvres site  &
 keep trying as it doesn't always load properly)

Cobaea scandens
(Click the caption for the wonderful Digital Botanic Gardens blog)