SpodeBlue Room 16oz Porcelain Tea Mug, Indian Sporting - Decorative Scrollwork & Scenic Glaze - Elegant Hot Beverage Cup for Brunch Table, Dishwasher & Microwave Safe Collector Drinkware

OK, here's the scoop on these mugs (after a long chat with Spode USA). Yes, these mugs are made in China, not England. These mugs were outsourced to a manufacturer in China sometime around 2004. There are several differences that I notice. 1) The English mug weighs 12.15 oz, the Chinese mug weighs 13.05 oz and though the difference is small, you can feel it. 2) The English porcelain has a faint gray tint, the Chinese mug is a warm, creamy white. 3) The English mug has a skinnier lip (which explains the difference in weight). I prefer the English-made mug, but have done a huge amount of research on blue and white, over-sized porcelain mugs and the Spode - Chinese mug is the best I could find, by far. Mottahedeh makes a Blue Canton Mug that's beautiful, but it's far more expensive; $55 vs $26, and though I think it's fairly large, just like Spode, it's difficult to ascertain the volume of liquid it holds. BTW, the blues match exactly!Aesop's Fables is from a design first introduced in 1830 from a hand engraved copper plate (love the history!). Spode's marketing introduces new patterns every now and then, so if you like these mugs it's good to keep an eye out for new designs.In 2009 Portmeirion purchased the Spode Brand. I asked about a time between 1975 and 1980 when I as a stockbroker, went to a meeting with Spode/Royal Worchester and we were each given a small Queen's Bird ashtray as a gift. The gal confirmed that these two makers had been closely associated during that period.Also, please note that Blue Room is a different from Blue Italian. Blue Italian is a specific pattern, the Blue Room Series (I think) consists of specially themed items that are introduced from time to time.If you happen to find it convenient to get to Waterbury CT, the US distribution center is located there and each summer (in June or July) they have a sale. I'm hoping it's possible to pick up a newly discontinued item there next summer.The leopard (?) depicted on this mug is somewhat odd. I've read that it's worth remembering that the engravers making these designs probably had not seen the animals they illustrated in the flesh so it is not surprising that they may differ from the actual way one of these animals looked.Bottom line - I love the mug and highly recommend it. Just know that this is the oversized version (16 oz) and you can tell the difference between the 16 oz and the 10 oz by the shape of the handle.

Beautiful Spode quality mug in a generous size for those of us who don’t consider a “cup of coffee” to be limited to 8 ounces :)

This is my favorite coffee cup.

A beautiful porcelain 16 ounce cup by Spode. The softer blue color gives it an antique look. It is a well-crafted quality mug/cup ... very strong, durable & microwaveable. An excellent buy for daily coffee and/or tea drinkers.

The mug is definitely proper porcelain - very hard and durable and translucent. The only two issues I have noticed is that the base is not totally clean and flat and the pattern is not completely centred. You have to really look to see the pattern not being centred. It’s still totally fine. I am not sure why the base has rough pieces on it but it’s unfortunate because that’s really the only thing actually wrong with it. Definitely still worth the money. Very glad I purchased & plan to purchase two other at the same style in different patterns.

If you love blue and white traditional designs and a generous mug of coffee, then this mug is for you.

I like the size, appearance, and quality. This has become my favorite goto cup for coffee, tea and water. There is a similar but smaller cup which is my wife's favorite, because of the size.

After accidentally dropping a 16 oz Spode mug I'd used for over 20 years, I purchased this 16 oz Spode mug as a replacement. Having read other reviews about the inferior quality of current Spode mugs now made in China, I took a chance and am happy to report that this new mug is of high quality. The porcelain, pattern, glaze, weight and packaging of this mug are all I've ever known, and expect, from Spode products.