The Spode Picture

In 1999 the Group hosted the Marquetry Society National Exhibition. For a week in May we took over the large display room in the Visitor Centre in Spode Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent. We wanted to "leave our mark", so we made the picture below and presented it to Spode.

Following the closure of the Spode site, we understand that the picture was passed to the Stoke-on-Trent Museums Service.

The Spode Picture

The centre design was taken from a drawing by Harold Holdway that is used in much of Spode's promotional material. The drawing was itself based on a pottery model of the site in the Spode Museum. The outer designs are pottery marks - or "back-stamps" to give them their correct title - used by Spode in the early 19th century.

Details of the backstamps

The veneers used include Aspen (Populus tremuloides) for the background, Lacewood (Platanus spp.) for the kiln brickwork and Elm (Ulmus procera), Australian Walnut (Endiandra palmerstonii), Canadian Grey Elm (Ulmus americana) and European Walnut Burr (Juglans regia) for the buildings.

Dignitaries with the Picture Made by Staffordshire Marquetry Group and presented to Spode to commemorate the 47th National Marquetry Exhibition May 1999

Mr James Hawley, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr Paul Wood, MD of Spode Pottery and Mrs Wood with the picture.

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