Zoological Gardens by Spode
Blue Room Zoological Plates, Assorted Set of 6 — Zoological Gardens was introduced in 2000 as part of the Blue Room collection. The collection of six distinctive motifs on 10½-inch dresser plates include: Tiger Cages, Ostrich House, Rhinoceros House, Zebra Pen, Kangaroo Enclosure, and Camel Enclosure.
The designs in this collection are taken from hand engraved copper plates bought around 1900 from a company called Wood and Brownfield. Previously known as Robinson, Wood and Brownfield. Zoological was one of their blue printed patterns seen on dinnerware in the mid 1800s. The Spode factory bought copper plates at the sale of stock when Wood and Brownfield ceased trading. Some of these designs went on to become well-loved Spode patterns.
The Zoological series used different centers on each piece which included Antelope, Camel, Lion Cages, Tiger Cages, a Zebra Pen, and a variety of birds. When this design was first produced in the 19th century many of the exotic animals were regarded as curiosities and not widely known. All the scenes feature the animals in landscaped gardens being admired by the visiting public. The floral border is taken from another Spode design known as Rhine or Severn which was also originally produced by another factory called Davenports and bought at their sale of stock in 1887. The Zoological collection was also available as part of the Brown Archive collection from 2002 to 2003.
Please Note: Not all Spode is safe for use in the microwave. Patterns with gold or platinum decorations around the rim should not be used in your microwave because microwaves can not pass through metal. If in doubt, use this simple test: Is this Utensil Safe for the Microwave?
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