This is a fabulous antique Victorian Spode Stone China part dessert service, circa 1820 in date. It has blue printed marks for Spode Stone China. It is beautifully made in porcelain in blue and white with iron-red and gilt. The set is decorated with beautiful flowers in the timeless Imari style. The set comprises: * A pair of shell-shaped dishes * A pair of oval dishes * 9 Dessert Plates Condition: Good - minor rubbing to gilding - please refer to pictures. Dimensions in cm: Height 2.5 x Width 20.5 x Depth 20.5 - dessert plate Height 4.5 x Width 23.3 x Depth 20 - shell-shaped dish Height 4 x Width 26.6 x Depth 18 - oval dish Dimensions in inches: Height 1 inch x Width 8 inches x Depth 8 inches - dessert plate Height 2 inches x Width 9 inches x Depth 8 inches - shell-shaped dish Height 2 inches x Width 10 inches x Depth 7 inches - oval dish Spode is a Stoke-on-Trent based pottery company that was founded by Josiah Spode (1733–1797) in 1770. Josiah Spode earned renown for perfecting under-glaze blue transfer printing in 1783–1784 – a development that led to the launch in 1816 of Spode's Blue Italian range which has remained in production ever since. Josiah Spode is also often credited with developing a successful formula for fine bone china. Whether this is true or not, his son, Josiah Spode II, was certainly responsible for the successful marketing of English bone china. Today Spode is owned by Portmeirion Group, a pottery and homewares company based in Stoke-on-Trent. Many items in Spode's Blue Italian and Woodland ranges are made at Portmeirion Group's factory in Stoke-on-Trent. Imari porcelain was the European collectors' name for Japanese porcelain wares made in the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Kyūshū, and exported from the port of Imari, Saga, specifically for the European export trade. In Japanese, these porcelains are known as Arita-yaki. The Ko-Imari and Iro-Nabeshima usually have painted decor of underglaze blue and iron red painted on a white ground. The porcelain has a gritty texture on the bases, where it is not covered by glaze. Subject matter is of foliage and flowers. Enamel colours other than blue and red are used in the Kakiemon porcelain. Imari was simply the trans-shipment port for Arita wares. The kilns at Arita formed the heart of the Japanese porcelain industry, which developed in the 17th century, after the porcelain clay was discovered in 1616 by an immigrant Korean potter Yi Sam-pyeong (1579–1655). Yi Sam-pyeong was kidnapped with his family (180 persons) after the Japanese invasion in Korea in 1598. After the discovery, Arita kilns introduced Korean style overglazing technique and refined designs from the political chaos china, where the Chinese kilns at Ching-te-Chen were damaged and New Qing dynasty government stopped trade in 1656-1684. First, blue-and-white porcelain made at Arita, imitating Chinese designs, was also widely exported to Europe through the Dutch East India Company, but "Imari porcelain" connotes Arita wares more specifically designed to catch the European taste. Our reference: 05846 Please feel free to email or call us (+44 20 8809 9605) to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. To request a shipping quote for the items in your cart, please click HERE. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.