JOSIAH SPODE

Pre-owned Rare Spode 'willis Thatch'd House' London Trial Pattern Platter, Circa 1810 In Gray

A C R O T E R I O N is pleased to offer this extraordinarily rare and historically important "stone-china" platter of considerable size and weight produced by the Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire circa 1810 as a pre-production "trial" example for the legendary 'Thatched House Tavern' in St. James's Street, London; the elongated octagonal white body with transfer and painted design copied from Qianlong period Chinese export porcelain having black transfer outlined partially painted underglaze and overglaze enamel "famille rose" floral-and-foliate-spray borders surrounding central 'chinoiserie' landscape vignette of rose trees, peonies, and other 'flora' among 'scholar's rocks' on bold underglaze green painted ground with 'Willis Thatch'd House' in black underglaze transfer cursive script. This platter is an exceptionally rare and possibly sole archetype of Spode pattern #1270, which came to be known as the "Willis Indian Tree", among many other latter variants, that was introduced to the general public in 1814 but with a much altered and simplified design. Given its overall 'secondary' quality; the glazing with 'slips' to the extremities, partial painting, design inconsistencies; i.e. the slightly off-centre 'centre' transfer design and right-side border design divergence, general production flaws in the body itself, as well as being completely unmarked to the reverse, it is likely this platter was shipped to the proprietor's of Willis's in London as a singular unfinalized design maquette not intended for use, however it very obviously was. "Willis Thatched House", also known as "Willis's", and "Willis's Rooms", began so named in 1770 when James Willis took over the proprietorship of the existing "Thatched House Tavern" social club established in 1711 in a thatched house built in 1670, and together with "Almack's", established 1765, were the names of two prominent social clubs in London based in adjoining assembly rooms on King Street, St James's, Westm