Over the years several different items have been produced by Spode in connection with Sir Winston Churchill.

A jug was produced in 1941, pattern number F445 and shape number K744, featuring a portrait of Winston Churchill with a battleship, aeroplane and tank on the front and a Union Jack on the reverse. It was printed in brown and also featured some of his famous quotations. Various versions of this jug were made. F446 was printed in black. F448 replaced the Union Jack with a Bulldog on a globe and was printed in black. F449 (as F448) was printed in brown and F470 was printed in brown and handcoloured onglaze.

Ashtrays were produced in 1941 with a patriotic design and a Churchill quotation. Several versions were produced. F471 was round; F472 was square; F520 was the portrait featured on the Jug detailed above on a round ashtray and F521 was as F520 but on a square shape. Both F520 and F521 were printed in black.

Also in 1941 a 'Toby' Jug (or character jug) and a statuette were produced. Both these were designed by Eric Olsen. The Toby Jug has pattern number F447 and shape number K745. The statuette has pattern number F455 and shape number K734. The figure was dressed in a black jacket with pinstriped trousers wearing a black hat and was produced in bone china. In earthenware the figure had the pattern number F670. In 1965 the statuette was reissued but with no pinstripes on the trousers. Both the Toby Jug and the statuette are known in plain white.

With the death of Winston Churchill in 1965 two commemorative items were produced along with the reissue of the statuette. The first of these was a covered vase, pattern number F1222 with shape number K1305, richly decorated with crimson and embellished with gilding was produced specifically for Thomas Goode & Co. (In 1967 a plate with a portrait of Winston Churchill taken from the covered vase was also produced exclusively for Thomas Goode & Co.)

The second item was a bust of Winston Churchill by Oscar Nemon. The information from the advertising material and the 1965 Wholesale Price Book page 165 says the following:

'Sir Winston Churchill Sculpture by Oscar Nemon'

At the command of H.M. The Queen in 1953, the year of her Coronation, Oscar Nemon completed his now famous bust of Sir Winston Churchill. In Sir Winston's own estimation, this bust represents the finest likeness made of him. It is the desire of the sculptor that this work should be more widely available and to this purpose he commissioned SPODE to reproduce it for sale. The material selected is Fine Bone China, finished not by glazing but by careful polishing by hand, thus preserving every detail and all the beauty of the original. The BUST stands 6 1/ 4" (16cm) high and cost 120/-*

This bust has been used by Nemon as the model for his design for the crown piece which is being struck by the Royal Mint.

*120/- (shillings) is the wholesale price in 1965 and in pounds sterling is £6. The item remained in the catalogues until 1974 when the retail price was about £18.
Further general reading: Robert Copeland; Spode and Copeland Marks and Other Relevant Intelligence: Studio Vista. ISBN 0-289-80172-9
 
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