This is a stunning set of 8 reticulated plates made by Copeland in 1848. Each plate is decorated with a unique sublimely painted flower arrangement by the artist Greatbatch.
We have a second set of 8 of these plates available, as well as a few separate ones; please see separate listings.
The Copeland factory was the third iteration of the famous Spode factory, after the "Copeland & Garrett" period which transitioned into the "Copeland" period in about 1833. The Spode/Copeland factory was one of the most prominent potteries right from the start of English porcelain production in the late 1700s to the demise of the industry in the 1960s and ultimate closure in the early 21st Century. In fact it was the founder Josiah Spode who was responsible for the recipe for bone china that made English china production so successful in the two centuries to come. Throughout all the changes, their items have always remained of exceptionally high quality and many of the designs have become iconic.
These plates were potted in fine white bone china, the rims meticulously reticulated in the "Gothic" shape. Reticulation was very time consuming and difficult, and just this detail would have made these plates expensive. The sublimely painted flower arrangements painted in the centre were done by Greatbatch, one of the well-known floral artists working for Copeland. Greatbatch was active between 1845 and 1860, and worked together with his brother R. Greatbatch, who was a talented gilder. They exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
These plates would have belonged to a sublimely expensive dessert service. They are all stamped with the small blue Copeland mark with interlocking C's, and painted in red with the pattern number 7913, dating it at the year 1848.
Documentation: A plate of this service is shown on page 80 of Steven Smith's "Spode & Copeland: Over Two Hundred Years of Fine China and Porcelain". References to the painter can be found on page 213 and 257 of Vera Wilkinson's "Spode-Copeland-Spode: The Works And Its People 1770-1970".
CONDITION REPORT The plates are in absolutely perfect condition without any damage, repairs or crazing, and hardly a scratch.
Antique British porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear, and gilt can have signs of slight disintegration even if never handled. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, stains and gilt disintegration can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.
There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
DIMENSIONS (diameters): 24cm (9.5").
Set of 8 plates by Copeland, reticulated, sublime flowers by Greatbatch, 1848
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We always aim to have happy customers so if you have an issue with or questions about your item, please contact us and we will do anything we can to resolve the issue with you!
