Spode Porcelain Botanical Specimen Dish of Bulbocodium Vernum, Commonly Called Spring Meadow Saffron, After William Curtis

Description

Spode Porcelain Botanical Specimen Dish,
Bulbocodium vernum, commonly called Spring Meadow Saffron,
After William Curtis
Circa 1810-20

The botanical is … more Spode Porcelain Botanical Specimen Dish,
Bulbocodium vernum, commonly called Spring Meadow Saffron,
After William Curtis
Circa 1810-20

The botanical is after William Curtis's The Botanical Magazine illustrated by James Sowerby. The image shows the bulb and roots of the plant which is most unusual and visually pleasing.

The Spode porcelain dish is of an deep oval form and was part of a dessert service. We have a pair and another single dish from this set.

Dimensions: 11 1/8 inches long x 7 3/4 inches x 2 1/4 inches high.

Condition is very good with very, very slight wear to the gold.

Mark: name of the plate in red-"Vernal Bulbocodium".

The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Each of the issues contains a description, in formal yet accessible language, and is renowned for featuring the work of two centuries of botanical illustrators. Many plants received their first publication on the pages, and the description given was enhanced by the keenly detailed illustrations.

The first issue, published on 1 February 1787, was begun by William Curtis, as both an illustrated gardening and botanical journal. Curtis was an apothecary and botanist who held a position at Kew Gardens, who had published the highly praised (but poorly sold) Flora Londinensis a few years before.

The publication familiarized its readers with ornamental and exotic plants, which it presented in octavo format. Artists who had previously given over their flower paintings to an affluent audience, now saw their work published in a format accessible by a wider one. The illustrations were initially hand-coloured prints, taken from copper engravings and intended to complement the text. Identification by a general reader was given in exploded details, some of which were given as a section. This was accompanied by a page or two of text describing the plants properties, history, growth characteristics, and some common names for the species. (From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis%27s_Botanical_Magazine)

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