Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, (reigning 1837 - 1901) is credited with introducing the Christmas Tree into the UK and from the late 1840s the Christmas Festivities here began to assume a different style. The designs with which we are so familiar today were very new at this time but the combination of holly, robins, mistletoe and snow quickly became a much-loved and indispensable part of British tradition at Christmas.
Spode was probably one of the first ceramic manufacturers to follow these new trends producing patterns using holly borders entwined with mistletoe and seasonal flowers on serving platters as well as on toilet wares such as ewers and basins. The earliest design in the archive dates from about 1811. Pattern number 1575 shows a holly border and a little later, in about 1828, a tile with pattern number B195 is recorded decorated with a border of holly. Many more patterns with a Christmas/New Year theme begin to be recorded in the pattern books from the late 1840s. Patterns begin to appear in the style with which we are familiar today. An example of one of the early Christmas patterns is a ewer and basin with an embossed holly pattern which was registered as a design with the British Patent Office on 6th December 1849 with registered number 64739.
Four designs with numbers 8295, D579, D2033 and D2035 all using the holly motif were exhibited at the 1862 International Exhibition and illustrated in the Art Journal Catalogue. Another design after a painting by Harrison Weir of a robin standing on a snow-covered branch was produced in about 1861. The print of this centre had appeared in the Illustrated London News on December 5th 1858.
Nearly 100 designs have been found in the pattern books so far from 1848 to 1938 with patterns on tableware, giftware, ornamental ware, toilet ware and tiles. One of the most famous of Spode patterns is Christmas Tree introduced in 1938 and details of this pattern and also of a more recent introduction, Christmas Rose, are available from the Spode Museum on request.
Pattern number |
date |
description |
|
|
From the B pattern books |
B195 |
c1828 |
Holly border on tile |
B947 |
c1848 |
Ewer, wide band of holly and mistletoe |
|
|
From the early Spode pattern books |
1575 |
c1811 |
Holly border |
8275 |
c1849 |
Narrow holly border, mistletoe centre/gold line at edge and two green lines, one either side |
8282 |
c1849 |
Jug, holly and mistletoe sprays printed in green, only the berries coloured |
8286 |
c1849 |
Jug, as 8282 but fully coloured and lined at edge in red |
8295 |
c1849 |
Holly border full colour, mistletoe centre and 'A Happy New Year to You' |
8389 |
c1849 |
Holly border on cup |
8519 |
c1849 |
Jug, holly border, mistletoe band and 'A Happy New Year to You' |
8606 |
c1851 |
Mask jug, broad holly border on upper edge, narrow mistletoe to bottom |
8889 |
c1852 |
Similar to 8519 above |
9099 |
c1853 |
Holly border on jug |
9109 |
c1853 |
Holly border with mistletoe centre |
9992 |
c1857 |
Ewer, berry and leaf border to top and to handle, lined in green and red, brown panel across centre of jug with ribbon entwined through the berry and leaf border |
|
|
From the C Book: |
C136 |
c1870 |
Holly and berry design |
|
|
From the D series pattern books |
D212 |
c1854 |
Ewer, holly and mistletoe decoration |
D292 |
c1855 |
Holly bowl with mistletoe in centre, also mask jug with mistletoe handle and holly design spout |
D564 |
c1857 |
Plate with holly decoration, holly border |
D579 |
c1857 |
Prince Albert plate design; holly in panels interspersed with hops and barley in smaller panels, with central sprig of mistletoe with 'A Merry Christmas to You' intertwined. Sutherland Green printing, gold edge. |
D580 |
c1857 |
As D579 but printed in chocolate brown |
D595 |
c1857 |
As D579 but printed in purple |
D619 |
c1857 |
Plate, holly border, gold line at edge |
D914 |
c1858 |
Cup decorate with holly border and mistletoe centre |
D1122 |
c1859 |
Ewer, holly design printed in Sutherland green |
D1130 |
c1859 |
New Bute cup, holly border |
D1259 |
c1859 |
Bottle in lavender body, holly border on bottle and stopper |
D1839 |
c1860 |
Ewer, purple ground with ivy design |
D2033 |
c1860 |
Plate, holly, twig and star design around edge and mistletoe and ribbon centre with inscription 'Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men'. Stars on blue band |
D2034 |
c1860 |
As D2033 but stars on green band |
D2035 |
c1860 |
Plate, holly design around edge, robin and mistletoe centre |
D2092 |
c1861 |
Mug, as D2035 but holly in place of mistletoe |
D2478 |
c1861 |
Mask jug, mistletoe handle and holly design to body. Mistletoe intertwined with blue ribbon bearing inscription 'A Happy New Year To You'. |
D2479 |
c1861 |
similar to D2479 |
D3043 |
c1863 |
Ewer and basin with gold lines to edges and handle, holly design on crimson ground |
D4524 |
c1866 |
Coffee can, holly border |
D4802 |
c1866 |
Plate and mug, pixies playing and delicate swirling holly |
D4803 |
c1866 |
Jug stand decorated with pixie encircled with holly and berries, gold line edge, mug to match |
D4813 |
c1867 |
Teacup and Gordon tray, holly and mistletoe and 'The Best is Not to Good For You' |
D4832 |
c1867 |
Mug, holly and mistletoe intertwined with pink ribbon inscription 'The Best is Not to Good For You' |
D4848 |
c1866 |
Ewer and basin, light holly border |
D4849 |
c1866 |
As D4848 but uncoloured print |
D5032 |
c1867 |
Ewer with neat holly border |
D5208 |
c1868 |
Plate and mug, holly and trellis border, children playing, inscription, A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year' |
|
c1861 |
Designs usually on larger dishes featuring a robin in a winter landscape by Harrison Weir, (see above in text) are known from around this date but are not in the pattern book except as tiles - see below |
D7640 |
c1870 |
Gordon tray with coffee can, holly and mistletoe wreaths , gilded |
D7641 |
c1870 |
as D7641 but different gilding |
D7648 |
c1870 |
Plate, holly/mistletoe borders, landscape centre |
D7649 |
c1870 |
Jug. holly border, spray of mistletoe under spout, winter scene |
D7684 |
c1870 |
Jug as D7649 but different shape |
D7685 |
c1870 |
Jug as D7649 but different shape |
|
|
|
|
|
From the '1 over' series - china patterns |
1/786 |
c1876 |
Small tankard, Porter mug, net swag and floral bouquets with A Happy New Year' in gold opposite handle in circle of forget-me-nots |
1/787 |
c1876 |
Small tankard, Porter mug, ribbon and rose spray with A Happy New Year' in gold opposite handle |
1/788 |
c1876 |
Small tankard, Porter mug, floral spray with A Merry Christmas in gold opposite handle on a folded ribbon |
1/789 |
c1876 |
Small tankard, Porter mug, delicate pearl, ribbon, garland and rose spray with A Merry Christmas on a folded ribbon |
1/797 |
c1876 |
Small tankard, Porter mug, fern spray with A Merry Christmas on a folded ribbon opposite handle |
1/1115 |
c1877 |
Small jug, little people with giant Christmas pudding inscribed A Merry Christmas. Underneath and A Happy New Year |
1/6027 |
c1889 |
Bernie dessert tray, narrow holly border and robin centre |
1/6028 |
c1889 |
Mug with bird shaped handle with mistletoe, decoration with nursery Rhyme, 'Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son' |
1/6029 |
c1889 |
Mug, decorated with Christmas pixies |
1/6030 |
c1889 |
Mug inscribed 'Merry Christmas' decorated with little people dressed as adults, saucer inscribed 'Happy New Year' with mistletoe |
1/6031 |
c1889 |
Mug with cat shaped handle in black, decorated with little people dressed as adults, saucer inscribed 'Christmas Pudding....' |
1/6036 |
c1889 |
as 1/6031 but white cat |
1/6037 |
c1889 |
Chelsea cup and saucer with holly and mistletoe border |
1/6038 |
c1889 |
Chelsea cup decorated with holly |
1/7845 |
c1893 |
Mug with robin on holly branch |
|
|
|
|
|
From the Ornament Books (prefixed O) |
O606 |
1920s |
Junket Bowl, two borders of holly, gold burnished, border of mistletoe inside |
O607 |
1920s |
Kew shell with robin on snow covered branch |
O608 |
1920s |
Chelsea shell handle basket decorated wi6th robin and holly |
O609 |
1920s |
Princess basket decorated with holly |
|
|
|
|
|
From the R series china patterns |
R277 |
c1901 |
Christmas moustache cup |
R278 |
c1901 |
Christmas moustache cup |
|
|
|
|
|
From the 2 over series - earthenware patterns |
2/5237 |
c1903 |
Christmas pixies |
|
|
|
|
|
From the Thomas Goode pattern books |
C85 |
1880 - 1885 |
A Thomas Goode pattern, Wig shape cup and saucer, holly outside and mistletoe inside cup |
|
|
Tiles between c1850 and c1853 |
202 |
|
Holly border, mistletoe centre, motto A Happy New Year To You |
207 |
|
As 202 but no motto |
311 |
|
Round jug stand holly wreath and red line |
346 |
|
Similar to 207 |
391 |
|
Round jug stand, holly wreath and coloured lines. Annotated Sent to London ....1853 |
473 |
|
Holly border, 2 sides only not all round |
678 |
|
Jug stand with Harrison Weir Robin and gold line at edge |
679 |
|
Tile with Harrison Weir Robin and crimson corners |
|
|
|
|
|
Christmas Tree pattern variations: |
S2133 |
1938 |
The original pattern printed underglaze handpainted onglaze with green band |
S2134 |
1938 |
As S2133 but with crimson band |
S2216 |
1939 |
As S2133 but on Marlborough shape |
S2217 |
1939 |
As S2134 but on Marlborough shape |
S2688 |
1952 |
As S2134 but band in 1339 red in place of crimson |
S2743 |
1953 |
12 inch round Chelsea dish, Christmas Tree centre of S2133, edge in Christmas Tree green |
S2763 |
1954 |
12 inch round Chelsea dish, Christmas Tree centre of S2134, edge in Christmas Tree crimson |
S2816 |
1954 |
Pattern all underglaze but green line in place of the green band |
S2836 |
1954 |
Zieler bowl all underglaze with green line and holly border |
S3324 |
1959 |
As original pattern but all underglaze. In 1962 the decoration changed from printed to waterslide onglaze but still banded underglaze |
S3325 |
1959 |
As S2134 but underglaze and underglaze pink band |
S3344 |
1960 |
as S3324 but omitting the band (cancelled) |
