A rare Spode pineapple stand, c.1815-20, painted with large sprays of pink rose and moulded with

A rare Spode pineapple stand, c.1815-20, painted with large sprays of pink rose and moulded with other flower sprays left in the white, reserved on an apple green ground, the decoration echoed to the underside, iron red factory mark, 23cm.

The decoration to the underside would probably have been reflected in a mirror placed beneath to show off the porcelain to great effect. The hole in the base of the stand would have accommodated the stalk of the uncut pineapple to make it more stable. Slices of another pineapple or other fruit would have been placed around the edge of the plate. It was not uncommon for the uncut pineapple to be saved and used at a second event, such was the expense of the exotic fruit at that time. Cf. Leonard Whiter, Spode, pl.218 for a similar example.