Spode 19th Century Platters
- Manufacturers of Themed Tableware
- Arthur Court Aluminum
- Brown-Westhead, Moore, and Co
- Copeland Rd Plates and Cake Pedestal
- F & S Ivy Pattern Cups, Bowls, and Saucers
- F & S Plates & Bowls without Ivy Pattern
- Gien Blue and Brown Series
- Keller and Guerin Colored Plates and Bowls
- Sarreguemines Black
- Sarreguemines Brown
- Sarreguemines DV
- Service de Poupee
- Spode
- Circular Cartoon Cake Plate, Serving Plates, and Kitchen Canisters
- Royal Winton
- Specific kinds of Tableware
1831? A serving platter, 20¼" x 15½", showing "The Horse and the Loaded Ass." "Aesop's Fables." Spode. England. Gift of Barbara Markuson, Glenwood, IA. August, '10.
This platter is done in the relatively rare black style. Barbara gave it to me in honor of her deceased husband Stanley, who carried the large platter back in his lap as he returned by airplane from Barbados. Barbara had taken the platter to the Antiques Road Show, where the antiques expert mentioned the particularly fine rendition of the horse and the relatively rare black. She valued it at $250. I wonder if it belongs to Spode's original "Aesop's Fables" series, apparently issued in 1831. The fable is apparently Perry #181. I present here Babrius #7, which seems to be the first to do the fable exactly this way: A man had a horse which he used to lead along with him free of any burden. He put the burden upon an aged ass. So the latter, worn out by much toil, went up to the horse and spoke with him about it: “If you are willing to share a part of my load, I may, perhaps, come through alive, but otherwise I shall die.” “Go along," replied the horse, “don't bother me." The ass plodded on in silence, but presently, spent with toil, he fell down and lay dead, as he had foretold. Immediately the master drew up the horse beside him and, unfastening the entire load, put upon the horse not only the packsaddle of the poor drudge, with all its burden, but in addition also, after flaying him, the ass's skin.” Alas," said the horse, “how poor was my judgment; that very burden, of which I was unwilling to share even a small part, has now of necessity been put upon me in its entirety." Click on any image to see it enlarged.
The central image of horse and ass
Detail of the horse
Detail of the ass
1830? Spode Pearlware Platter. Green Transfer with Golden handle portions. CP in an open landscape surrounded by blosson framework and edge dentils. GBP 59 from Enochwood through Ebay, August, '22.
Here is another fine Spode piece, fully intact. "The Crow and the Pitcher" is on the verso, along with "Spode Aesop's Fables."
1835? Blue Spode ashette or medium-sized platter picturing "The Crow and the Pitcher" in their series "Aesop's Fables." 8½" x 6". £28 from newcowper through Ebay, Nov., '19.
As with each 19th-century Spode piece I see, the design here is exquisite. I would have to check with the sort of people who ran Downton Abbey to know just when an ashette like this would be used, but it would be lovely, even though I wonder about people taking food off of platters showing crows and rocks!
1835? Green Spode medium-sized platter picturing "The Mountain in Labour" in their series "Aesop's Fables." 10¼" x 8". $150 from Aesthetic Transferware, May, '20.
The mouse is appropriately difficult to find at first in this grand scene. There are several people in the left foreground who seem to be uninvolved or uninterested in the "big doings" that have brought a group of people out of the town on the far right. These people have come some distance, only to be disappointed. I offer a detail of the central image below the platter. Click on any image to enlarge it.
1835? Spode medium-sized platter picturing "The Mountain in Labour" in their series "Aesop's Fables." 10¼" x 8". $150 from Aesthetic Transferware, May, '20.
The mouse is appropriately difficult to find at first in this grand scene. There are several people in the left foreground who seem to be uninvolved or uninterested in the "big doings" that have brought a group of people out of the town on the far right. These people have come some distance, only to be disappointed. I offer a detail of the central image below the platter. Click on any image to enlarge it.
1835? Spode medium-sized green platter picturing DS in their series "Aesop's Fables." 9.5" x 5.25". £75 from loch_leven through Ebay, May, ‘24.
Vegetation places the dog squarely at the center of this illustration. The artist succeeds in establishing a strong plain just above the dog’s mouth, and then uses the mouth and bone to establish a new flat surface very close to the water. This allows for a reflection suitably less recognizable but still strong. The dog’s “mane” accentuates his head as he is ready make his big mistake.
1831? Green Spode platter, 16.5" x 13", showing "The Sow and the Wolf." "Aesop's Fables." Spode, England. £120 from loch_leven through Ebay, May, ‘24.
This large platter features another worthy design, though perhaps one not entirely appetizing to those dining. The artist, I believe, does particularly well with the stance and attitude of the two main characters. The wolf is aggressive, stretching out his neck, ready to move forward. The sow turns from her former direction to answer the unexpected offer of “help.” She stands protectively over her brood of piglets.
1831? Spode platter, 16.75" x 12.25", showing "The Fox and the Goat." "Aesop's Fables." Spode, England. $185 from lena1923 through Ebay, July, '26.
There will be more pictures and description to come for this piece bought just recently.