Spode Imperial Cream Embossed Grapevine Pitcher with Branch Handle, Green Spode Impl. England Mark
This is a Spode Imperial embossed grapevine pitcher, sold by resellers as Spode Imperial Fancies. It is a straight-sided cylindrical jug in cream (an ivory, unpainted glaze) with a pinched spout. Molded grape leaves, tendrils and vines wrap the body in relief over a finely pebbled background, and the handle is shaped like a ribbed vine branch with a curled tendril where it joins the rim. The base is glazed and stamped in green: Spode, then Imp with a raised l (short for Imperial), then ENGLAND in capitals. Imperial is the name of a Spode earthenware body.
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Spode Imperial ware
Imperial is the name of one of Spode's special earthenware bodies, and pieces made in it carry the Spode name with Imperial or the abbreviation Impl. Plain cream jugs with molded grapevines like this one are listed by resellers as Spode Imperial Fancies and turn up in more than one size.
Cream pitcher wrapped in raised grape leaves
The Spode Imperial grapevine pitcher is a cream-colored earthenware jug with straight, nearly cylindrical sides, a plain rim with a small pinched spout, and a large loop handle. Only one color covers it: cream, a soft ivory glaze with a slightly warm beige tone where it pools, with no painted color. Its finish is glossy over raised areas.
Molded relief decorates the body all over. Its background is a fine pebbled or stippled texture, and over it run grapevine stems with broad, lobed and veined grape leaves, and curling tendrils, wrapping around the jug from the handle side to the spout. A smooth band rings the base below the decoration. The handle is modeled as a vine branch, ridged lengthwise like bark, splitting into a forked attachment at the top with a curled tendril against the rim and joining the body lower down on a leaf.
The base is flat and glazed. Near one side, the mark is stamped in green (a dark bottle green): Spode in a slanted serif script, Imp with a small raised l and a dot beneath it, the old shorthand for Imperial, and ENGLAND in plain block capitals underneath.
On this copy: not measured. The glaze is crazed all over in a fine network of lines, darkened with brown staining inside the jug, on the handle and across the base. Inside, there is heavy tan to brown staining, with glaze flakes near the rim and debris in the bottom. A brown stain mark shows at one edge of the base. No breaks were seen in the photos.
- Form: Straight-sided cylindrical pitcher with pinched spout and loop handle
- Material: Glazed earthenware (Spode Imperial body)
- Colors: Cream, a soft ivory, with no painted decoration
- Decoration: Molded grape leaves, vines and curling tendrils on a pebbled ground
- Handle: Ridged vine-branch handle with a curled tendril at the top
- Mark: Green stamp on base: Spode / Impl. / ENGLAND
- Maker: Spode, England
- Seller name: Spode Imperial Fancies grapevine pitcher
- This copy: Not measured; heavy crazing with brown staining inside and on base, no breaks seen
Base (green stamp): Spode Impl. ENGLAND
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Live listings on ebay.com, checked October 2026. Asking prices, not sold prices.
About the Spode Imperial Grapevine Pitcher
What does Spode Impl. mean on the bottom of a pitcher?
Impl. is short for Imperial, the name of a Spode earthenware body. The full mark reads Spode / Impl. / ENGLAND in green.
How do I identify a Spode Imperial grapevine pitcher?
It is a cream, straight-sided jug with molded grape leaves and vines over a pebbled background, a branch-shaped handle with a curled tendril, and the green Spode Impl. England stamp on the base.
Why is my Spode Imperial pitcher covered in brown lines?
That is crazing, a network of fine cracks in the glaze, which has absorbed stains over time. It is common on old cream earthenware.