Pattern 381 Spode bone china Dessert Plate in another Japanese Kakiemon inspired design which was introduced by Josiah Spode II c1802.
This pattern includes elements of design seen in Spode's previous patterns 282 & 287 (both illustrated). It incorporates the hand-painted green ground reserves of pattern 287 alternating with blue transfer printed 'Spode Tendril' panels (these are similar to the hand-painted red & gilt border design in pattern 282).
This printed blue 'Spode Tendril' design is also known by Spode collectors as pattern '305 Border' as this was the first Spode pattern number in which this blue printed border design appears. It was also incorporated into Spode's pattern numbers 306, 307, 310, 361 & 381.
I own a Spode Chestnut Basket which is decorated simply with this blue printed Spode Tendril pattern (unfortunately I failed to purchase the matching stand when they appeared for sale separately). These pieces are illustrated (Plate 226) in Leonard Whiter's Spode book (1978 edition) & were part of the Spode Museum display but were privately owned & subsequently sold by the Copeland family. I will be adding a photograph of this basket to my website in the future.
On this Spode pattern 381 Dessert Plate the inner border of iron-red enamel & gilt was used subsequently by Spode on his pattern 714 (illustrated) & also incorporated into many other Spode Imari designs. The central mon or stylised chrysanthemum was & still is, a traditional Japanese decorative motif.
This Spode plate is decorated on its base exactly the same as the original Oriental Export Porcelain plate that it was copying. It also has an impressed small 'SPODE' mark and an old collector's label for the Andrews Collection. It measures 8 inches or just over 20 cms in diameter.
This plate was featured in the October 2008 Spode Review (publication by the Spode Society for their members), Spode's Tendril by Derek Andrews.
I have a lovely, old book, 'Spode & his Successors' written by Arthur Hayden in 1925 & with great care I lift the sheet of fine tissue paper at page 93 to see his illustration of this pattern 381 taken from the old Spode pattern book. He notes that the paper on which it was painted was water-marked dated 1794.