Spode and a Hot Water Plate

Hot water plate, earthenware, Lucano pattern c1819-1833

This is a hot water plate. It is transfer printed in 'Lucano 'pattern which was first recorded in about 1819. Its Spode backstamps are of a style used until 1833 so this piece dates between c1819 and 1833.

Spode backstamps and detail of the hot water spout

The three backstamps

The backstamps are from left to right: impressed Spode company mark incorporating workman's mark 2 i.e. identifying the man who made the dish from the clay stage; blue printed Spode company mark; and blue printed cypher identifying the printing team.

A hot water plate was used to keep food warm. A cover - glass, metal or ceramic - could be used to help keep the heat in. These types of hot water plates were, at this period, for well-to-do families for use either in the nursery or for invalids, in the days before hospitals, when the wealthy were nursed at home. The grand but draughty houses with kitchens some distance away from the living rooms created a demand for all sorts of warming devices, from this type of plate, to spoon and ladle warmers and whole cupboards designed as plate warmers.

Detail of opening for the hot water & tiny hole where the shell 'lid' was secured

To use the hot water plate, heated water was poured into the base of the plate through the opening by the handle on the left. The opening was then covered with a little 'lid' which is missing. This is not surprising as the 'lid' was a tiny ceramic shell to match the fixed one on the right hand side handle. The 'lid' shell was wired to the main pot through the tiny hole you may have spotted by the hot water opening. I wonder where all those tiny shell lids are now...? Later versions had corks stoppers or metal screw-in stoppers. It is perhaps worth remembering that water had to be fetched from wells or springs to the houses and heated without the aid of electricity or gas at this period.

Detail of fixed shell on closed handle

'Lucano' pattern was introduced when there was an interest in pictures of places visited by those on the Grand Tour. It depicts 'The Bridge of Lucano near Rome' possibly taken from 'Merigot's Views of Rome and its Vicinity' published in 1796 -1798. Other pottery manufacturers also produced Lucano.

Here is a hot water plate of a later Imari design made in the Copeland & Garrett period (1833-1847) which has a cork stopper. The pattern is printed, handpainted and gilded and this is probably bone china.

Ceramic topped cork stopper closed (detail)

Ceramic topped cork stopper opened (detail)

Copeland & Garrett hot water plate - stopper on the right - 1833-1847

Spode and a Little Dish

Dessert/fruit dish, bone china, 'Flower Embossed' shape, pattern 3127 c1821

This little dish, 7" diameter, is a dessert/fruit dish and features in several places on this blog for different reasons... not least as it is one of my favourites. There is something about its shape and size which is perfectly proportioned. Beautifully painted and gilded it is also finely potted with a lightness as well as a silky smoothness to it - a reminder how nice it is to handle pots 'in the flesh'.

Detail showing 2 of the moulded floral sprays which give the shape its name

Pattern 3127 is on a shape called 'Flower Embossed' which was first introduced in about 1813. The shape design has different moulded flower sprays - usually 3 but less on smaller pieces and more on larger pieces. The 'embossed' flowers are part of the moulds i.e. not added afterwards as in sprigged ware. You can see this detail in the image of a mould for a hexagonal 'envelope' dessert serving dish in the shape.

Press mould (detail) for a 'Flower Embossed' dessert dish

The groups of flowers were part of the original modelling followed by mouldmaking for this shape. Modelling and mouldmaking are highly skilled jobs on a pottery factory, often underestimated or not even thought about.

Two dishes which match this mould can be seen in the image of the shape decorated with a different design, pattern number 2004, of c1814

* Pattern 2004 c1814 with 'envelope' dishes top left and right

So... back to my little dish in pattern 3127. It would once have been part of a dessert service with many, many other pieces - perhaps dozens and dozens of items (see image of pattern 2004 at the end of this blogpost).

Backstamp, handpainted in red

The composition of a dessert service depended on how many people a service was ordered for and there could be hundreds of pieces. These would include dishes, plates, cream tureens, sugar tureens, low comports, tall comports, baskets, other serving dishes such as pineapple stands, and sometimes spectacular centrepieces. In the early 1800s the dessert course was quite formal and a showpiece for the well-to-do.

Every piece of a service in pattern 3127 would have been handpainted in the same layout of the groups and sprays of flowers but using different combinations of colours and varieties of flowers. Other designs in this ilk would feature birds, birds in landscapes, single botanical subjects, landscapes, etc.

Gilding detail of 'dontil' edge

All the pieces were gilded with a 'dontil' edge with extra gilding on the bigger serving pieces particularly those, like the tureens which had lids and handles, where the gilder could add a lot more detail.

Example of flamboyant handle gilding, pattern 4033 c1825

In designs on 'Flower Embossed' shape the moulded flowers could be left undecorated, as in my dish in pattern 3127, in relief in a border as in pattern 2004 also shown here, painted in colours or gilded. Large numbers of different patterns were produced on this shape. Of all the embossed shapes introduced in the early 1800s it remained the most popular staying in production until around the late 1960s. In the 20th century the shape was particularly popular with the North American market.

*More of pattern 2004 c1814 where a range of 'Flower Embossed' dessert pieces can be seen and also some coffee cups & saucers in pattern number 1978 c1814.

It is from the Peggy and David Rockefeller collection sold by Christie's 2018.

Part dessert service, 'Flower Embossed' shape, pattern 2004 c1814

Use this link here> to browse this remarkable collection which was sold to benefit the Rockefeller charities and foundations.