Dessert plate, earthenware, Spring Crocus, c1815 |
Backstamps on dessert plate |
Illustration 45 from 'Curtis's Botanical Magazine' 1787 |
For this design the dessert service was produced on earthenware, transfer printed first with the plant and then with the leaf sheet pattern, which in this design, is called 'Thyme' sheet. The botanical subjects were then hand coloured. During the manufacturing process it meant that each piece of the service was fired in a bottle oven at least 4 or 5 times.
A word about the word plate. Over the years, when I wrote up my various research articles about the botanical sources for Spode patterns I had to be very careful with the word plate!
Plate could have 3 distinct meanings: plate as in a ceramic plate; plate as in a book illustration; and plate meaning copper plate i.e. the engraved copper from which the pattern was printed in the transfer printing decoration process.
More on my blog post 'Spode and Botanical Designs' here.