Maker: Spode  Pattern: British Flowers

A large commodious bourdaloue made during the W T Copeland period. These oval pots go under various names, but their purpose was singular. Today most often called a bourdaloue supposedly so named after Pere Louis Bourdaloue (1632-1704) a Jesuit preacher at the court of Louis XIV, whose long sermons left the ladies of the court in some discomfort. However, the first known bourdaloue was of Dutch delftware and made about 1710, so this explanation appears to be apocryphal. They are also known as coach pots and crinoline slippers.
They were designed to offer particular convenience for ladies forced to endure long coach journies, operas as well as church services. This was at a time when ladies' lower undergarments had two legs and were not joined, so these pots were relatively easy to use. The method of subsequent disposal is not covered in the published literature.
This particular example was made at the Spode factory about 1847-1850 and is decorated in their British Flowers pattern; one of their most succesful floral patterns and first introduced in 1831.
There is a hairline running down one side towards the front, about 1.5ins 4cm long. Some stress cracking around the top of the handle, which occured during firing and brown grit and minor blemishes in the glaze. Having said that it looks fine and the glaze is sound; bright and clean almost as the day it was made.
Blue printed Copeland Late Spode and 12.

Dimensions: 28 cm x 13 cm x 10 cm / 11 ins x 5 ins x 4 ins