Pattern 1823 Spode bone china Bute shape Coffee Can decorated in an Imari style & introduced by Spode c1812. This was a popular Spode design, profusely decorated with orangey iron-red peonies on a cobalt blue & gilt ground together with co-ordinating border bands of flowers & diamond lozenges at the top & base rims of the can. This design was produced by Spode for many years after its initial introduction.
1812 was a momentous year, not only were the Napoleonic Wars still raging but now Britain became at War with America. Trade would become EVEN MORE difficult for Josiah Spode II; he had already endured 9 years of war/trade disruption but would have to continue for another 3 years until 1815 before life settled down again. Competition between English ceramics manufacturers was immense.
This can is all hand-painted & gilded. It has a smudge of gilt inside together with specks of cobalt & kiln dust. If you desire perfection I'm afraid antique Spode bone china porcelain c1812 will struggle on many occasions to provide it but it does however look wonderful by candlelight. A fact which is true of many 'Candlelight Patterns' or 'Japans' as they were known.
Josiah Spode II's bone china porcelain was a vast improvement on what had mostly gone before which was opaque, cream coloured pottery with very simple and sparse decoration.
This can is marked to its base with 'SPODE' & its pattern number '1823' in red enamel, it was probably made a few years later than the date of the pattern introduction, perhaps c1815-25.
Pattern 1823 Josiah Spode II New Oval shape bone china Creamer c1812, still looking great after all these years. This shape was introduced c1805 by Spode.
Lots of rich gilding here - this was a very intense pattern which would have kept Henry Daniel's gilders busy decorating all Josiah Spode II's bone china production.
Slight wear to the gilding on its lip
I hope I wear as well as this piece of porcelain has, somehow I doubt it.
Still some specks to be found inside
Here it is c1812 and still some pattern numbers turn up in gilt instead of the iron red enamel, this is another late piece for this type of marking.