Pattern 334 Spode bone china Bute shape Coffee Can & Saucer produced by Josiah Spode II c1802. The design is a border of repeating florals & foliage which are hand-painted in charcoal enamel together with rich gilding. In candle light the addition of all the gilding warms the charcoal enamel colour & gives an appearance of olive green tones which is very attractive.
This gilding pattern down the kinked handle was regularly used by Josiah Spode II
When Josiah Spode II's father died in 1797, Spode II had been a widower for the previous 15 years & presently had 3 teenage daughters and 2 older sons. His oldest son, William (21) worked with him in the London retail/wholesale ceramic business but his younger son, Josiah Spode III (20) had been raised by his grandfather Spode I in Stoke-on-Trent following the death of his mother, Elizabeth at an early age & he was being trained to become a Master Potter like his father & grandfather. No doubt Josiah Spode I & II's plan had been for the eldest son to run the London business and the younger one to run the pottery business at Stoke.
But Spode I's sudden death changed the plan & Spode II decided to return home to Stoke to run the pottery business at the request of his father in his will. Perhaps the decision to return home was because both Josiah Spode I & II realised Spode I's recent discovery of a successful formula for bone china production had huge marketing & financial potential.
There is some wear to the gilding and a little kiln dust at the base of the coffee can