Copeland Spode Golf Jug & Sugar Bowl
Copeland Spode Golf Jug & Sugar Bowl
Rare Copeland Spode Golfing Relief-Moulded Milk Jug and Sugar Bowl.
A delightful and highly collectible Copeland Spode relief-moulded milk jug and sugar bowl, beautifully decorated with golfing scenes in raised white sprigged ornamentation against an attractive olive green and beige ground.
Produced by W.T. Copeland & Sons, the celebrated Stoke-on-Trent pottery firm that continued the renowned Spode tradition, these charming pieces showcase the late Victorian fascination with the increasingly popular sport of golf. The applied relief decoration depicts golfers and caddies in a variety of poses, demonstrating the exceptional craftsmanship for which Copeland Spode became famous.
Both pieces are impressed to the base with 'Copeland England' and Rd. No. 345322, together with the numbers '18' on the jug and '42' on the sugar bowl. Each also bears the printed 'Copeland Late Spode' backstamp with Rd. No. 180288, a mark used between 1894 and approximately 1910. The registration number 180288 refers to the trademark rather than the design itself. The jug further carries a printed Rd. No. 345322 and the retailer's mark for R.H. Stearns & Co., Boston.
Registration number 345322, granted on 16 September 1899 by the British Patent Office to W.T. Copeland & Sons, relates to a registered 'golfing embossment for a slab'. A plaster cast of the original design survives in the Spode Museum collection. The slab depicts a series of golfing vignettes, including golfers preparing to drive, putting, waiting their turn, and caddies carrying clubs or tending the flag.
These figures were created using the traditional technique of sprig moulding, whereby a thin clay relief, taken from a sculpted mould, was carefully applied to the surface of the vessel before firing. The pieces were then glazed and fired again, producing the crisp, raised decoration seen here. The same golfing sprigs appear on a variety of Copeland Spode's golfing wares and are among the most charming sporting motifs produced by the factory.
Adding further interest, the jug was retailed by R.H. Stearns & Company, one of Boston's leading department stores, founded in 1847 and long associated with quality imported goods for the American market.
Combining sporting history, decorative appeal and the enduring prestige of the Spode name, this attractive jug and bowl set represents an excellent example of late Victorian golf-themed ceramics and would make a wonderful addition to any collection of golfing memorabilia, British pottery or Spode wares.
Dimensions:
1900-1949
Circa 1900
Ceramic
United Kingdom
Copeland Spode
The jug is in great condition, no visible cracks or repairs. The sugar bowl is in the same condition but the sprig work on three of the golfers has pieces missing. Please look carefully at the images.
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