Pattern 287 Spode Creamware Chestnut Basket & Stand with lattice shape cut-out decoration. It is hand-painted & gilded in a colourful Japanese Kakiemon design which incorporates a dragon, brocade, mons or stylised chrysanthemums & flowering prunus blossom. This pattern was introduced by Josiah Spode II c1801 and the design probably copied an original piece of 18th century Oriental Export porcelain. The pattern is known as 'Brocade' & was also produced by the Worcester porcelain factory during the 18th century.
Lots of open lattice work & 'twig' handles; these pieces are decorated on both sides just as the original export pieces would have been.
Invariably Spode's early ceramic Stands nearly always show signs of wear because the baskets would move around & their rough bases would scratch the surface of the stand's enamel decoration.
Red enamel was particularly prone to damage & was not as robust as other colours. This was due to the fact that red enamel had to be fired at a lower temperature to other colours & consequently it didn't sink into the glaze as much & lacked durability.
The gilding on both pieces is still very good & the enamel decoration on the basket is almost as lovely as when it was hand-painted in Spode's Stoke-on-Trent work-shop over 200 years ago!
This Spode Chestnut Basket has an impressed 'SPODE' mark on its base & the glaze appears to be very thin & almost non-existent. The double blue circles are a direct copy of Kangxi Chinese Imperial porcelain (1660-1722) produced at a time when Reign marking was suspended.
The story goes that Imperial Reign marks on Chinese porcelain had become too indiscriminately & prolifically used & instead of signifying high quality pieces they were appearing on most productions. These double blue circles usually enclosed the Imperial reign marks on Chinese porcelain.
During Kangxi's reign & by Imperial edict the use of Reign marks was suspended but Chinese porcelain makers continued to apply the double blue circles. Later on during the Kangxi reign they were allowed to continue with reign marks.
Chinese & Japanese porcelain manufacturers since that period have chosen to apply the double blue circles to more recent productions to imply age & to make a piece appear older than it actually was. This may have been carried out with reverence & respect for earlier designs or for more mercantile reasons.
This Spode Chestnut Basket Stand is marked to its base with an impressed 'SPODE' and its pattern number '287' written in gilt. This Chestnut Basket & Stand came to me from Cathcart Antiques, Australia who had purchased it when the Timothy Menzel Collection was put up for auction in 2017 by Philips, Melbourne, Australia.
Here is a link to a review of the Timothy Menzel Early English Porcelain Collection Auction: http://www.philipsauctions.com.au/info/latest-news/140-perfect-porcelain.html
and also a bit more information about the collector here:
A pattern 287 Spode heart shaped Dessert Dish was part of the Copeland China Collection sold by Bonham's at Trelissick House, Cornwall in 2013 (together with a pair of Spode pattern 1723 Dessert Plates decorated in Chelsea exotic birds style. You can see them here: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21214/lot/471/ This heart shaped dish was illustration 223 in Leonard Whiter's book 'Spode, a History of the Family, Factory & Wares from 1733 to 1833' (in my 1978 edition). Plus one of the pattern 1723 Spode Dessert Plates painted in Chelsea style appears in this book as illustration 200.
There was a Spode Honey Pot for sale in this pattern by Carolyn Stoddart-Scott of London & 1st Dibs USA but it's not available now: