Why does my plate have a blind mark?

Impressed or blind marks were standard factory practice for tracking output and identifying the clay body. Workers stamped the soft clay using metal or ceramic dies prior to the first biscuit firing. These marks are often difficult to read under a thick glaze. You need to angle the base under a strong light source to cast shadows into the stamped letters.

I have a whole set of dinner plates and bowls inherited from my grandmother but I want to know if they can go in the dishwasher safely?

The harsh alkaline detergents and high heat of modern dishwashers will strip away any overglaze enamels and gilding. Even underglaze blue printed patterns risk damage if the protective glaze has developed microscopic cracks over the decades. The turbulence also causes items to knock together. Wash them by hand in warm soapy water. Lay a folded tea towel in the bottom of the sink to prevent chipping the footrims against the hard metal basin. Drain them on a wooden rack and dry with a soft cloth.

What is the willow pattern story?

The famous story of escaping lovers turning into birds is a marketing invention. English potters created the tale to help sell transfer-printed wares featuring pseudo-Chinese landscapes. Spode introduced several early versions of these Chinese-style landscapes. They drew elements from imported export porcelain and combined them to suit British domestic tastes.

There are some brown stains creeping under the glaze on the edges of my serving dish and I was wondering how to get them out without ruining it?

Those brown marks occur when moisture seeps into the porous earthenware body through tiny cracks in the glaze. The staining is structural. Leave the dish as it is. Bleaching involves harsh chemicals that weaken the ceramic body further.

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Antique Spode

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Antique Spode encompasses English ceramics produced from the late eighteenth century onwards, ranging from blue and white transfer-printed earthenware dinner services to finely painted bone china teawares meant for polite domestic entertaining.