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Emperor Maximilian, the East India Company, the Czar,
the Shah of Persia, Charles Dickens, the Goldsmiths Company..
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Spode's place in the history of ceramics is obviously unique and
secure. As such, it also has a long tradition of attracting commissions
from those personages and institutions who have their place in the
broader sweep of world history.
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Another Royal occasion,
the visit to the factory of
King George V and Queen
Mary in 1913.
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It all started as early as 1806, when the Prince of Wales and his
brother, the Duke of Clarence, made a tour of the Spode factory.They
"expressed themselves to be much gratified with the process
and various modes adopted" and as a mark of his approbation
the Prince appointed Spode II as "Potter and English Porcelain
Manufacturer to His Royal Highness".
Again on his coronation as King George IV, he commissioned the
banqueting service from Spode. Following this, Spode has continued
to hold Royal Warrants to this day.
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In 1818 special decorative items were ordered for the Royal
Pavilion in Brighton, where some can still be seen, with
others now in Buckingham Palace.Another coup was the supply
of tiles in 1868 for the reading room of the National Library
in Paris to engineering standards of accuracy, which no
other ceramic manufacturer would meet.
(Right) A dessert plate, from a service commissioned by
the Prince of Wales in 1863.
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In 1823, Spode received what has been described as "the
unlikeliest order in the whole history of ceramics".
A History of the Staffordshire Potteries, published in 1829,
tells how, "Mr Spode completed for the Hon. East India
Company's Factory at Canton, a most splendid Table Service
of Porcelain of thirteen hundred pieces, valued at £400
to replace the service destroyed by fire. The porcelain
was of the finest body made at the manufactory, alike distinguished
for its beautiful parian whiteness and delicate transparency".
Here were the world's largest traffickers in Chinese porcelain
ordering Stoke wares for their own use!
(Right) One of the plates supplied by Spode in 1823 to
the East India Company for use in Canton.
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And so it continued through the years. In 1849, the first Spode
service for the Royal Yacht was delivered, a custom still maintained,
up to and until the recent de-commissioning of the last Royal Yacht.
Today, this tradition remains as strong as ever. Spode still attracts
the most discriminating customers, challenging orders and appears
on the most prestigious occasions.
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