| Spode - Still Made
The Way It Has Always Been Made |
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The design, created initially on paper,
is hand engraved on copper plates,
a process requiring the utmost skill. |
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The engraved plate is heated, then filled with inorganic metallic
oxides mixed with oils, wiped clean of excess pigment and after wetting with a
solution of soap and water, a special tissue paper is laid on top.
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After passing through rollers to impress the paper onto the engraving, the
tissue is peeled awy to reveal the pattern in reverse. |
| Cut out by hand, the tissue is carefully
positioned before being rubbed down on the ware with a stiff-bristled brush |
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The whole piece is then immersed in running water and the tissue floats away,
leaving the design on the ware. |
Finally, it is hardened in a kiln to
remove the oils before being glazed and fired to produce the rich,
characteristic Spode design, protected permanently under the glaze. |
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